NHS in Scotland: I'm supposed to have a hospital procedure in Dunfermline, but how can I get there at 8am on a Sunday? – Hayley Matthews

Hayley Matthews is struggling to find a way to get to Fife and back for an early morning hospital appointment (Picture: Lisa Ferguson)

The waiting list is quite lengthy for a Lothian appointment for my procedure but, I discovered that if I go to Dunfermline, the wait is almost a year less.

All the free appointments were 8am on Sundays, which I’d thought was just a coincidence. I accepted and decided to worry about how I'd get there later.

Then the paper work came through and, as I'm to be sedated, I need someone to be there with me as I won't be able to drive back or be on my own.

The NHS will reimburse you for public transport, but I looked at trains, buses etc and nothing can get me there that early on a Sunday, so it's looking like it's not going to happen.

It slowly started to dawn on me that this is why so many Sunday appointments were free. Dunfermline isn't that far away, so for there to be such a drastic difference in appointment wait times seems crazy but I guess people just can't get there so early.

I suppose for those unable to drive to their appointments, for whatever reason, it makes or breaks the decision. The NHS don't refund taxis so I'm back to the drawing board for my procedure.

So if you see someone walking over the bridge in a robe and slippers, don’t worry, it will just be me on my way home.