Health chief left in the dark over GP closure
It is inconceivable Ayrshire and dA Arran Health H lthB Board d were not t aware of what is going on
Scotland’s cabinet secretary for health was NOT told a village’s GP surgery was to shut down.
Jeane Freeman, also the MSP for Tarbolton, was also kept in the dark about a public meeting.
Sources close to the politician say she is “incensed” nobody informed her — or her office — that the practice planned to close.
NHS Ayrshire and Arran were well aware of the plans by the Taiglum surgery to shut the building in Montgomerie Street.
And Phil White of the integrated health and social care board for South Ayrshire was despatched to a public meeting on February 5.
One source said: “It is inconceivable Ayrshire and Arran Health Board were not aware of what is going on. Somebody either chose not to or forgot to tell the local MSP.
“When the village politician also happens to be Scottish health secretary, the decision to keep her out of the loop is very foolhardy.”
Villagers were also not told by the practice direct, instead learning through word of mouth that doctors would be attending a Tarbolton Community Council meeting at the school campus.
From next month villagers face having to travel to outlying surgeries also operated by Drongan- based Taiglum.
Ms Freeman is now probing what is going on and looking for a straight answer on apparent discrepancies in the story.
The source added: “Details are still a bit sketchy ranging from the practice doesn’t have enough doctors – to they do have enough doctors but the actual building isn’t up to scratch.”
In an official statement Ms Freeman said: “The majority of GP practices in Scotland are independent bodies who have been contracted to deliver services to the NHS and, while we expect satisfactory systems to be in place for the benefit of all patients, the NHS cannot stipulate what these should be.
“The Scottish Government expects health boards to engage and support patients where there are changes in circumstances.”
Taiglum is a large eight- doctor rural p practice with surgeries in Drongan, M Mossblown, Coylton and Tarbolton.
Wilson McTaggart and Rekha Konamme at attended the public meeting.
Local health director Eddie Fraser failed to explain why Ms Freeman was snubbed, sa saying: “We appreciate the role of local el elected representatives in advocating for lo local communities. The Health and Social C Care Partnership purpose in attending th the meeting was to engage with local co communities and to seek to mitigate the im impact of the loss of the GP practice. It was n not intended for anyone to feel excluded a and we apologise if this has been an u unintended outcome.”