THE Scottish Ambulance Service has defended its decision to withdraw patient transport from a Helensburgh woman suffering from Parkinson's disease.

Roseann McCallum's husband, Danny, contacted the Advertiser to say his wife had been taken by a patient transport ambulance to the Vale of Leven Hospital for the last eight years – until her most recent appointment, when she was suddenly told she was no longer eligible.

Mr McCallum said: “Roseann was diagnosed eight years ago, and we've been getting patient transport for six years. Now the service supervisor says she's not eligible.

“Without an ambulance it's impossible to get her there. I have arthritis and sciatica and I can't get her there in her wheelchair myself.

“For an appointment at half past ten we'd have to leave home at half past eight and get three buses to reach the Vale in time, and another three to get home again – and that's if there isn't already another wheelchair on one of the buses.”

Mr McCallum said that his wife's Parkinson's medication has to be limited because of its effect on medication she receives for another, unrelated, condition, meaning the effect of the Parkinson's disease on her daily life is more severe.

“Roseann has to go to hospital every six months for check-ups. The hospital staff have seen her condition. They know what it's like and the effect it has.

“But the service supervisor said that because of new legislation, if she's able to make it into a taxi she's not eligible for patient transport.

“But depending on how bad her Parkinson's is I can't always get her into a taxi.

“I could manage OK if the hospital was more local, but I can't easily get her to the Vale myself.

“It's not so bad if the buses are all right, but you can't just stand there and hope there isn't already someone in a wheelchair using the bus when it comes along.”

A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We carefully assess each requested patient transport journey to ensure we continue to provide a good quality service for those patients most in need such as those who need oxygen or specialist care during a trip, for example, or for whom travelling independently might put them at risk.

“Based on the information provided at the time, our scheduled care co-ordinators assessed that Mrs McCallum’s condition did not qualify her for the Patient Transfer Service.

“However, we would encourage her to get in touch with our Patient Experience Team to allow us to further investigate the circumstances around this decision.”