Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Readers’ anger over hospital service plans and Chapelhall traffic concerns
The news that orthopaedic services are to be moved out of Monklands Hospital later this year led to an outpouring of anger from the Advertiser’s Facebook readers.
Health board members approved plans to concentrate trauma and elective surgery at Wishaw and Hairmyres hospitals, but their claims that the move is “absolutely not” a downgrading of the A&E department at the Airdrie hospital met with scepticism among our readers.
Agnes Watson lamented: “That’s not good. Just makes it harder for people who can’t drive who are now going to have to travel longer distances to get seen.”
Annemarie Cairney said: “Spending God knows how much on building new wings etc, but it seems like the long-term agenda was to get rid of it altogether, bit by bit.”
Catherine Gibb added: “Leave our hospital the way it is. Why is the SNP Government not stepping in to stop this?”
William Nayles agreed: “Leave our hospital alone.”
Also evoking ill-feeling on our Facebook page was the story of Chapelhall resident John Collins’ calls for the installation of crossing points and traffic calming measures on busy roads in the area.
John’s safety concerns particularly apply to the main route of Woodhall Street through the village and he was joined by neighbours to highlight another blackspot, at the main road’s junction with Kennelburn Road and where it passes the busy local supermarket.
Emma Stevenson posted: “Would love speed bumps on Honeywell Crescent up from the library where it turns the corner to Arranview Street. The cars fly round there, very dangerous!”
Tasha Angel added: “Gibb Street is just as bad— too many idiots speeding round the corner.”
Mark McGhee said: “Difficult to cross, but speed bumps akin to the ones in Cairnhill are a nightmare. Walk up to the library if it’s all that bad.”