Press Release
29th July 2003
McNeil
Condemns “Short-term and Unsustainable” Maternity Service Decision
MSP
for Greenock & Inverclyde, Duncan McNeil, has condemned today’s decision
by Argyll and Clyde NHS Board to endorse the recommendation of the Maternity
Services Steering Group that all consultant-led inpatient maternity services be
centralised at Paisley’s Royal Alexandria Hospital.
“It
is of course a bitter blow that the Health Board has voted to accept this
short-term, unsustainable solution,” he said.
“They have opened the door to the centralisation
of consultant-led inpatient services for over 800,000 women and children in two
hospitals – Paisley’s RAH and Glasgow’s Southern General – which are 7
miles apart.
“But
this is not the end of the line. The
decision has to be ratified by the Health Minister and I will be doing
everything in my power to convince him, not just reject this plan, but to
institute a full West of Scotland wide review of hospital provision.
This is the only way to avoid the sort of ludicrous anomalies to which
decisions such as today’s will lead.
“I
won’t pretend, however, that this will be easy.
I have been unable to find a single example of any Health Minister
overturning a decision of this nature and I know that powerful vested interests
in the NHS will be putting him under immense pressure.
“But
we have a strong case, built not on emotion, but on a solid foundation of hard
evidence. I will waste no time in making sure the Minister is well aware
of the full facts and of the serious consequences of accepting this decision.”
ENDS
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