Support Brian Honeyman

I am writing to you for help in a matter with the NHS Forth Valley. My dad Brian Honeyman is 47 Years of age and had a accident on the 24th July 2012 he fell from a roof where he was working. My dad was rushed to Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert and taken into A&E where we (his Family) were told that they were very worried about my dad as he sustained a massive head injury and multiple fracture’s down his spine and neck. After an hour he was moved to ICU and kept on life support for not even 24 hours when the doctor told us they would be turning my dad's life support machine off. After going and researching that night finding that the brain swells for 72 hours after injury I went back and questioned this doctor and then my dad was transferred to Western General hospital in Edinburgh as they have a specialist neurologist unit more suited to his care. Then after being a coma my dad came round and is able to talk and feed himself despite the doctors in Forth valley giving him no chance.

My dad has now been moved to Falkirk Community hospital for Brain rehabilitation. He is currently in unit 1 in Falkirk hospital A geriatric ward.

I am concerned of the rehabilitation my dad is receiving and after researching again have found a place that specialises in brain rehabilitation in Glasgow but this is privately funded and after having a meeting with Doctor today 04/03/13 asking if he would refer my dad I was told I would be politely laughed at by the board who deal with funding.

Specialist brain rehabilitation offers a great deal more with much more facilities than what can be offered in Falkirk such as skills, guided leisure time, learning and therapeutic time, behavioural management, vocal training and support I feel like this is the kinds of things my dad should be receiving.

I am not asking for my dad to be treated differently in anyway to any other patient but because my dad's postcode happens to be Falkirk area this is all the rehabilitation he’s entitled too. Seems hugely unfair as there is a unit in Edinburgh called Ashley Ainsle but again because of postcodes this is not possible for him to get there.

I want you to understand just how hard it is to go in and see my dad everyday not happy and there’s more out there you just have to have the correct postcode.

keri honeyman and family