11 January 2009
Immediate release
 
MURRAY PRESSES GOVERNMENT TO LISTEN TO COMMUNITY HOSPITAL CLOSURE PROTESTERS

Dumfries MSP Elaine Murray has urged the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, Nicola Sturgeon, to take on board the views of local people when considering whether to agree to any proposal from NHS Dumfries and Galloway to close the community hospitals in Moffat, Langholm, Lochmaben, Thornhill and Kirkcudbright.

In an oral question on Thursday, Elaine Murray asked Ms Sturgeon to give the same weight to the opinions of her constituents as she had to patients objecting to the closure of Accident and Emergency facilities in Ayr and Monklands hospitals in 2007.

Although she could not comment on any proposals at this stage, Ms Sturgeon did commit to listening to the opinions of local people on any proposals brought to her by the Health Board.

Speaking later on Thursday afternoon, Elaine Murray said;

“ I am pleased that Nicola Sturgeon did give me the commitment that she would listen to local opinion should  NHS Dumfries and Galloway bring forward plans to close community hospitals. Ms Sturgeon listed a number of the ways in which community hospitals could play a role in future health care provision and I fully agreed with the views she expressed in answer to my initial question.

“Should NHS Dumfries and Galloway decide to implement “Option C” and the closure of the community hospitals, they will require the agreement of the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing. My advice to protesters will be to make sure that Ms Sturgeon is made aware of your views if the Health Board submit proposals to her. I shall certainly make her aware of any representations I have received”.

ENDS

CONTACT – ANDREW MACKENZIE 07769206856

NOTES TO EDITORS

Elaine Murray MSP asked Nicola Sturgeon the following question at General Questions at 11:40 on Thursday 7 January 2009.

1. Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers to be the role of community hospitals in the future delivery of health care. (S3O-9016)
 
The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing (Nicola Sturgeon): We are committed to providing health care services as locally as appropriate and possible.

Community hospitals have an important role to play in many areas as a resource hub to the community, integrating and co-locating services that are provided by health and other related services such as local access to out-patient and diagnostic services, day-case treatment, midwifery services, palliative care and intermediate care beds.

Elaine Murray: The cabinet secretary is aware that NHS Dumfries and Galloway is consulting on proposals to close community hospitals in Moffat, Langholm, Lochmaben, Thornhill and Kirkcudbright and to centralise services in four community rehabilitation units. As Scottish ministers will be required to agree to the eventual proposals, I do not expect the cabinet secretary to prejudge any application. However, will she reassure my constituents and those of the Presiding Officer who will be affected that their opposition to the closures will be fully considered when any decision is being made? Will she give the same weight to their views that she gave to patients who objected to the closure of accident and emergency units at Ayr and Monklands hospitals in 2007?

Nicola Sturgeon: I acknowledge Elaine Murray's constituency interest in the matter. I am, of course, fully aware of the proposals on which Dumfries and Galloway NHS Board is consulting. Indeed, I ordered an independent scrutiny of the proposals before the consultation commenced. I am grateful to Elaine Murray for acknowledging my role in the process. I will be required to approve, or otherwise, the proposals when they are formally submitted to me. I do not want to go into any detail or to give any view of my own on the proposals prior to that time—in fact, I am unable to do so.

I assure Elaine Murray that I will listen carefully to all representations that are made on the subject. I hope that even my political opponents acknowledge that I listen to what members of the public say about local NHS provision. Situations will inevitably arise in which not everyone is happy with the outcome of a consultation process. I assure Elaine Murray that this Government will always listen to the views that members of the public in local areas express.