Call for developers to makehealthcare contribution

DEVELOPERS should be compelled by t he Scot t ish G ove r n me nt to cont r i bute tow a r d s loca l hea lt hca re fac i l it ies if house building is likely to lead to an influx of patients.

Councillors must also be allowed to take into account the effect on GP surgeries when considering individual planning applications.

Those calls from north-east Fife politicians follow the approval of two housing projects in the area, despite fears health services will be swamped as a result.

Liberal Democrat councillor Bill Porteous said when the north-east planning committee was asked to decide on 158 new homes for Wormit recently, councillors could not consider the impact they would have on Tayview Medical Practice.

Mr Porteous expressed similar concerns last month when 86 new houses were approved for St Monans.

He said: “GP services in the area are hard-pressed and housing developments of that size are going to have an effect.”

Dr Susie Mitchell, secretary of Fife’s local medical committee, said: “Practices of all sizes are struggling to recruit and retain due to rising workload, increased list sizes due to development with no realistic primary care planning, and the pension crisis.”

North East Fife Liberal Democrat

MSP Willie Rennie said: “The Scottish Government needs to look again at the contribution developers make towards public services, not just education as is presently the case.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said that once enacted, the Planning Act would require local development plans to consider the likely effect of land use on the health needs of the population.