A BRAVE Logan gran has claimed that an Ayrshire eating disorder clinic brought her to the brink of suicide after she shed 12 stone in one year.

Mary Nicoll began trying to lose weight after being told she was too overwight to have surgery on a crippling back injury.

The 56-year-old - who admits she struggled throughout her life from being overweight and “used food to cover emotions” then began swallowing 30 laxatives a day to try and accelerate her weight loss.

Mary’s eating disorder took hold after she injured her back from falling off a horse two years ago.

In a bid to get the surgery Mary started to avoid food whilst taking morphine to deal with the excruciating pain which resulted in more weight loss - eventually losing a whopping 12 stone in a year.

Mary told the Chronicle: “When I was younger, I would over-eat a lot, I was always quite big and by 16 I was starting to put on a lot of weight. I used food to cover a lot of the emotions that I had.

“I got double barrelled by a horse and suffered collapsed discs. The hospital said you can’t have an operation because you’re too big.

Cumnock Chronicle:

“When I lost allthat weight, I didn’t see a problem but everyone else did I was 23 stone and I went down to 11 stone.”

Because of the dramatic loss, Mary’s doctor referred her to the NHS Ayrshire and Arran Eating Disorder clinic in Irvine, but after she opened up about a hisorical childhood trauma, she claims staff at the unit let her down.

Mary, who says she was diagnosed with anorexia, was left disappointed at the care and environment of the unit Mary said: “They are not treating patients; they are not getting to the issue of what is wrong with the patient. All they are doing is, if you’re anorexic, they say take this drink. I got caught by the police nearly committing suicide because of that department.

“I never opened up to anyone and I opened up to the eating disorder department and I regret it because it was the worst thing I ever did.

Cumnock Chronicle:

“There’s nothing in East Ayrshire for eating disorders, there’s nothing in this area at all. It’s a shame.”

Mary received a written apology from NHS Ayrshire and Arran, but has taken her complaint further to the ombudsman.

Stephen Brown, Director of Health and Social Care, North Ayrshire said: “NHS Ayrshire and Arran cannot comment on individual cases due to patient confidentiality.”