Surgery axe reaches Holyrood

The plight of people losing their village medical surgery has reached Holyrood.

And the docs who are ditching Tarbolton plan to close it earlier than planned , this Friday, February 28.

The Taiglum surgery had been scheduled to close at a date in March.

But a letter eventually sent to patients and seen by the Ayrshire Post, confirms the closure date.

The letter by a Nicola Taylor of East Ayrshire Health & Social Care also confirms it’s the state of the surgery and not a lack of GPS for the pull- out.

She stated: “The current design and layout of the Tarbolton Clinic is no longer fit for purpose in terms of the range of services the GPs wish to provide and this has added to the need for services to be transferred to Mossblown.”

Scottish Labour Leader Richard Leonard had blasted constituency MSP and health secretary Jeane Freeman for not turning at a public meeting in the village.

It happened during First Minister’s Questions on Thursday.

If Leonard had read the Ayrshire Post out on Tuesday night he would have known Ms Freeman had not been told about the meeting or the closure.

Later she said: “Richard Leonard implied that I have failed to attend an important local meeting to discuss the Taiglum Medical Practice’s decision to close their surgery premises in Tarbolton.

“It is disappointing that Mr Leonard did not check his facts first. I did not receive an invitation to this meeting and was unaware of it.

“Had I been, as the constituency MSP I would have made every effort to attend or be represented.

“As the area’s MSP, I will always assist all constituents who contact my office to the best of my abilities, as I am doing in the case of this practice’s decision, but I cannot attend meetings that I have not been notified are taking place.”