Jackie Baillie MSP for Dumbarton and Lomond and Vale of Leven Hospital.
By Bill Heaney
Dumbarton and Lomond constituency MSP, Jackie Baillie, has said that comments made by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in their board paper on Moving Forward Together are misleading.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board met yesterday, and in their paper on the Moving Forward Together programme officers state that “Early feedback from initial sessions is that the vast majority of people recognise the challenges health and social care are facing and agree with the direction of travel set out by the programme.”
This has been rejected by the MSP on the basis that the health board have not revealed any service change proposals for the Moving Forward Together programme. Jackie Baillie MSP has said that it is impossible for local people to judge the direction of travel without knowing how service changes will affect them and in particular, at the Vale of Leven Hospital.
Added to which, the health board record that the number of people who attended their meeting in Alexandria totalled 26 members of the public, compared to the two public meetings held by the MSP and local campaign group, Hospitalwatch, which totalled around 300 people. 26 members of the public can hardly stand as a basis for decision making.
Jackie Baillie said: “NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde state that members of the public are happy with the direction of travel of their Moving Forward Together programme. But the health board have continuously told the public that they have no detailed plans for the programme. I am not convinced that people can develop an opinion on the programme if they don’t know how the changes will affect them.
“At the two public meetings I held in Dumbarton and Helensburgh, my constituents were clear that they want services retained at the Vale of Leven hospital.
“In addition, the health board managed to attract just 26 people to their meeting in Alexandria, in comparison, the public meetings I held with Hospitalwatch which attracted around 300 members of the public who wanted to have their say.
“The health board must develop proposals and then come back to the public to hear their views.”