A ROSYTH mum says she fears she may be dead before she receives a life-changing operation.

Hannah Trickett, 32, who co-owns the Faodail restaurant in Kincardine with partner Michael, has been waiting nine MONTHS to be seen by a surgeon in Glasgow to fix equipment for her rare brain condition that keeps her alive, but help is not coming.

She's been told she faces another lengthy wait just for a consultation and protested at Holyrood yesterday (Thursday) claiming a Fife postcode is stopping people accessing vital treatments.

Since the birth of her daughter, who is now eight, Hannah has suffered from an incurable – and rare – brain condition that she has described as leaving “too much fluid on the brain in places it shouldn’t be”.

The disease effectively leaves her with the symptoms of a tumour without actually having one.

The machine that fixes this by removing fluid from the brain has been malfunctioning since February, causing her horrendous pain, but Hannah is still waiting for treatment.

She told the Press: “I fear I may be dead before anyone takes notice but I am willing to do what I can so that others don’t suffer like I have.

“Fifers are waiting over the 90-day limit for treatment because their local health board just doesn’t have the facilities they need.

“I myself have been waiting 36 weeks to be seen by a surgeon in Glasgow and have just been told that due to my postcode I will have to wait a further 20 weeks just to be seen for a consultation.

“I am now taking regular morphine just to get through the day, plus hold down a full-time job, raise my daughter and keep on top of my home.

“People like me are lost in a black hole, desperate for help but no-one is taking notice.”

A shunt in Hannah’s stomach is causing small tumour-like lumps, making it almost impossible for her to function.

It is causing her to lose her sight, gives her crippling headaches and she is unable to even sit up or lie down comfortably.

The final straw for Hannah came when she was told by medical staff that she could get around the wait time if she was registered at a Glasgow clinic.

“It’s a disgrace,” she said. “It’s insane that our NHS can’t be seen as one unit.

“My GP is doing all they can to help but NHS Fife just don’t have a neurosurgery department.

“It’s like I’m banging my head off a wall everyday.

“I’ve tweeted MPs, MSPs, even Nicola Sturgeon, so I just decided if they’re not coming to me, I’ll go to them.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Clinical priority patients should be seen without delay and we are concerned this does not appear to be the case with this patient. 

“Therefore, we are happy to investigate on her behalf if she is content for us to do so.

“The Scottish Government launched a Waiting Times Improvement Plan on Tuesday that is supported by £235 million in frontline spending and around £120 million in capital. 

“This is in addition to the ongoing £200 million elective and diagnostic treatment centres programme over the next two-and-a-half years and the £300 million committed to performance.”