“Health
debate is moving our way” MP and MSP tell local Labour Party
Greenock
and Inverclyde’s two Parliamentary representatives have told how the debate on
the Health Service in Scotland is being driven by events in Inverclyde.
Speaking at a meeting of Inverclyde Labour Party on Friday 24th
September in St. Laurence’s school, Duncan McNeil MSP and David Cairns MP
reported on recent developments following Argyll and Clyde Health Board’s
proposals to centralise services at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley. Key developments include Malcolm Chisholm’s appearance
before Scottish MPs at Westminster and his concession made to Duncan McNeil that
no decision would be taken about Inverclyde Royal Hospital until after his
expert group headed by Professor David Kerr reports on a National Strategy in
the spring.
Speaking
at the meeting Mr Cairns said:
“There
is no doubt that events in Inverclyde are now driving the agenda across
Scotland. It was at my suggestion
that Malcolm Chisholm came to Westminster to discuss these vitally important
issues and I was delighted that he accepted.
The meeting was actually very constructive and I pressed the Minister
hard on the issue of Argyll and Clyde’s proposals for Inverclyde Royal.
I particularly wanted re-assurance that Professor Kerr would be able to
look at these proposals within the context of the West of Scotland and not be
constrained by artificial Health Board boundaries.
He gave me this re-assurance. While
we still might not get everything that we would want, at least we have a
fighting chance. This decision
means that Argyll and Clyde should now withdraw their proposals and await the
outcome of Professor Kerr’s report in the spring.
To push ahead with their plans at this stage would be irresponsible and
wrong.”
Mr
McNeil agreed, saying:
“I’m
glad that – after years of challenging the orthodoxy of centralisation in the
NHS – the issue is now firmly at the top of the agenda.
“The
Health Committee Inquiry I fought to have set up is already making waves, with
the Health Minister agreeing to my call not to issue any final decision on
Health Board plans until the experts currently examining the shape of the NHS
report. It’s also telling, I
believe, that the group’s Chairman, Professor David Kerr, is making Greenock
his first port of call.
“None
of this, of course, solves the problem or makes the challenges facing the NHS
magically disappear. But at least
steps, albeit faltering steps, are now being taken in the right direction.
“The
challenge now is to use the head of steam which has been built up to drive
forward the national debate which the professionals, the public and the
politicians are demanding.”
ENDS
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