"We feel completely ignored and unsafe"

My husband is an epileptic patient who is currently being failed by NHS Lothian. For over a month, he has been in excruciating pain due to a 3cm foreign body (dental material) and a severe infection in his maxillary sinus.

The situation is critical: he cannot breathe through the right side of his nose, his ears are blocked, and he suffers from intense pressure affecting his teeth and eyes. He is forced to take strong painkillers 4 times a day with no relief. As an epileptic, this level of pain and chronic sleep deprivation are major triggers for life-threatening seizures.

The lack of care we have experienced is shocking:

• He sought help at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh Emergency Department. The staff literally closed the door on him, stating that because he arrived on his own, he must be fine, and refused even a basic triage.

• NHS 111 similarly dismissed him, saying he was not an emergency.

• At St John’s Hospital (Maxillofacial), a consultant confirmed he needs surgery to remove the object but refused to act immediately, stating they would only operate if there was active bleeding or a purulent abscess.

Waiting for a medical catastrophe is not healthcare. We have now been given a CT scan date and a consultation date. But these are nearly three weeks away. My husband is currently unfit to fly (we have a trip in April), yet he cannot get access to urgent treatment so he can recover.

We feel completely ignored and unsafe. My husband is being sent home to wait for a major seizure or a burst abscess while the hospital does nothing. We feel this is a failure in Duty of Care.