Gorilla tactics win jump in queue

A Derry man who has been waiting almost six months for an ultrasound scan has been told there is no explanation for gorillas getting more prompt medical attention than human beings.

Mr Martin Clifford (47), having experienced problems with his abdomen, visited his GP earlier this year.

He was referred to the local Altnagelvin Hospital to see a consultant, who in turn sent him for a precautionary ultra-sound scan in May.

"I was expecting to wait a couple of weeks," said Mr Clifford, "but I learnt that the waiting list was about nine months."

In late July he saw an article in the Daily Mirror about a gorilla in Blackpool which was also suffering with abdominal pains.

"There was a photograph of the gorilla and all. It seems he had a suspected stomach tumour. It said he got an ultrasound scan in about a week and he got the use of NHS facilities.

"I was a bit miffed. It's not as if the gorilla did the scan by himself. So I contacted the Patients' Advocacy office at the hospital and asked them to pose the question."

Altnagelvin Hospital's Health and Social Services wrote back to Mr Clifford last month, thanking him for his telephone call, telling him that his concerns had been investigated and that the Trust was now in a position to address them.

He was told that the waiting time for ultrasound appointments was about nine months and that every effort was being made to reduce this.

Limited resources led to longer waiting times for clinical appointments and investigations, said Ms Stella Burnside, chief executive of the trust.

She added: "The Trust cannot comment on why gorillas in Blackpool get more prompt investigations than human beings within this Trust."

Asked how he reacted to this, Mr Clifford said the issue was about "parity of esteem" between gorillas and humans.

He did not know how the Blackpool gorilla was.