HEALTH board bosses have apologised after a Gourock man was given the wrong information about treatment which led him to believe he had to travel to Renfrewshire. 

Graham Winters, 66, injured his upper left arm and left shoulder in June and attended Inverclyde Royal to see medics as he was having difficulty raising his left hand. 

The qualified solicitor said he was 'most impressed' by the care he received by all staff but said was shocked to find out where he would be receiving rehabilitation. 

Mr Winters was handed a leaflet with details for self-referral physiotherapy sessions at centres outwith Inverclyde - in Johnstone, Paisley, and Renfrew.

Bosses at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have now admitted that Graham was given the wrong leaflet, and say they will help him find services closer to him. 

Mr Winters says the situation he initially found himself made him think that Scottish ministers had 'an agenda' and wanted to phase out services at the hospital. 

Graham added: "I thought of it as an attack and assault on the provision of local services.

"I was completely shocked to learn I would have to go somewhere other than Inverclyde for treatment."

When Graham visited the hospital after sustaining the injury, he was sent for a series of x-rays and after being examined by doctors, he was prescribed pain relief medication. 

As he was leaving, the doctor who assessed him handed him leaflet about self-referral physiotherapy services. 

Graham said he was told that if the pain had not eased after a week, he should get in touch with his GP or self-refer.

The leaflet provided details for 'local physiotherapy departments' which were listed as Johnstone Health Centre, Renfrew Health and Social Work Centre, and the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley. 

Mr Winters said he walked round to Inverclyde Royal's physiotherapy department to check if it was still there. 

He added: "I knew full well that there was a full physio service within Inverclyde Royal. 

"There's never been an announcement about physiotherapy cuts and about people having to go to Renfrewshire for treatment."

This is not Graham's first experience of having to travel outwith Inverclyde to get his health back on track. 

In 2019, doctors discovered Mr Winters had a tumour growing in a master gland, which affects hormone growth.

He told the Telegraph he had to travel from Gourock to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow for CT scans, before learning that there was a machine in Inverclyde.

Mr Winters says having to go to appointments outwith your local authority could be very difficult for people without transport. 

He added: "In most circumstances I could get to these venues but the injury made indicating difficult. 

"What if people don't have a car or can't drive?

"Relying on lifts and getting there using public transport if you're injured could be difficult for people."

Mr Winters has now called for clarity on services at Inverclyde Royal and blames one particular political party for the difficulty he has experienced. 

He added: "It's clear that the Scottish ministers have an agenda. 

"The SNP has let Inverclyde down very badly.

"I think they want to close the physiotherapy service, and ultimately close the hospital and replace it with a cottage hospital."

A spokesperson for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: "It is inaccurate and misleading to say there has been a loss of local service provision for physiotherapy in Inverclyde.

"NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde operates three physiotherapy sites across Inverclyde, all of which are staffed and operating well, and there has been no reduction in local service provision. 

"We apologise this patient has been given a leaflet which did not inform him of physiotherapy services available in Inverclyde, and we are taking immediate steps to rectify this. 

"We will contact Mr Winters directly to help identify a suitable local service for him."