Tinnitus

I had a visit from a constituent who has tinnitus. By coincidence I had a few hours recently when I had a mild bout of this very distressing condition. So what is it?

The common name is ‘ringing in the ears’ but its effects are actually much more complex than that. The symptoms can range from mild noises in the ear to totally disabling continuous sound that prevents sleep.

And it is not just old people who suffer. A significant number of young people do too.

So it was heartening to see a substantial public gallery in Parliament when my colleague Dorothy Grace-Elder opened a debate on chronic pain.

It soon became apparent that Scotland lags far behind other countries in the provision of clinics for pain sufferers.

But at least the admirable hospice movement has developed strategies for managing pain in the terminally ill. In fact Parliament heard of one patient in the Highlands who was sent to a hospice for their chronic pain simply because that was the only source of help.

Another example of how our health service limps along, particularly when faced with health problems that disable rather than kill.

My visitor with tinnitus was fairly lucky compared to many of the pain cases Dorothy and others told us of in her debate. His tinnitus is not as severe as some others’.

But what I promised I would do for him was to talk about this problem in my column and put out a plea for any others interested in forming a local self-help group to come forward. If they contact my office in Peterhead, I will pass their names on.

Modern Studies

Much of what is written about our Parliament is far from the everyday experience of the people like me who work there. So I always extend a warm welcome to constituents who are prepared to make the long trek south to Edinburgh to see for themselves.

This week it was three members of the sixth-year modern studies class at Peterhead Academy - Jacquiline, Blair and Lorna. I had previously been into the school to be mercilessly grilled by them. Give me Jeremy Paxman any day!

And they struck it lucky, from spectator’s viewpoint at least.

The Justice Committee was on its high horse when they arrived. We were discussing a complex amendment to the final stage of the Sexual Offences (Evidence & Procedures) Bill.

And the reason for our irritation?

We had only just received the government’s amendment and were hearing witnesses from the Law Society and from a law professor. Both were expressing concern about some of the wording and we had only 48 hours in which to act.

Next stop lunch and opportunity to get up close to people they only see on TV.

A visit to the floor of Parliament and a seat on the government front benches always seems to fascinate. They seemed to think it become a career option for them.

But the highlight seemed to be a very busy afternoon’s debate when we passed two Bills. I suspect that’s a first for us to do two on one day.

It is ‘pot luck’ what is on when visiting Parliament but I think Peterhead Academy though they had struck lucky. I think so too.

Double Vision

Our one-week Parliamentary recess is an opportunity for me to visit people and events in our area mid-week. Normally I am a prisoner in Edinburgh Tuesday through Thursday and miss out.

So this week I was able to accept an invitation to a play being presented in Mintlaw Academy. Not just any play but a modern morality play, a play with a message.

The acting was superb and the session afterwards when the actors came back to answer questions from the audience, in character, was convincing. These actors required no lessons in ‘method acting’, the getting inside the mind of their character.

And what was the subject of the play that dragged this parliamentarian out on a driech winter night? The demon drink!

But of course I am not at Westminster where they have what others have described as ‘liquid dungeons’, a range of in-house bars. In the Scottish Parliament we have to cross the road to ‘Deacon Brodies’ or ‘The Jolly Judge’, or so I am told (ha!).

The serious point about the evening is that the recreational ‘drug of choice’ for most adults is alcohol. And when abused, when used to excess, its effects are severely damaging to health, wealth, family and the community.

Well done to Central Buchan Lifelong Learning and Drinkwise Grampian. I am sure that the rest of the tour across the North-East and Moray will deliver a useful message to senior school students and adults that it is well worth our while listening to carefully.