Pool ‘floater’ sparks Water Palace shutdown

Haveyour sayonthe futureof hospital

Hamilton will host a public meeting on the proposed replacement or refurbishment of University Hospital Monklands.

It will take place on Tuesday, September 25, in the banqueting suite, South Lanarkshire Council, Almada Street, Hamilton.

Graeme Reid, Monklands replacement/refurbishment project director, said: “We have a fantastic opportunity to build a state-of-the-art hospital for Lanarkshire.

“I would encourage people to take part in the consultation by coming along to our public meetings or completing our online survey. This is your chance to help shape the future of healthcare in Lanarkshire.”

The meeting will feature a presentation outlining the clinical case for change, the challenges of building on the existing site compared to a new site and why an alternative location for the hospital at Gartcosh has emerged from option appraisal as the highest scoring option.

Following the presentation the audience will take part in group discussions to share their views on the proposal and discuss what else the NHS Lanarkshire board should consider before making its decision on a preferred option at its meeting in November.

After the discussion groups there will then be a chance to put questions to members of the project team.

Doors open for the meeting at 6.30pm and it will finish at 8.30pm.

Visit www.monklands.scot. nhs.uk for more information on the meetings and the consultation.

If you would like to submit a question to be raised at the meeting please send it to monklands.consultation@ lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk. Hamilton’s Water Palace’s leisure pool and pirate ship were forced to close for 48 hours this week due to a ‘floater’ in the water.

Bosses had no choice but to shut the pool on Monday (September 17) because of an ‘accidental faecal release’.

A spokesperson for South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture said: “Hamilton Water Palace had to close from Monday to Wednesday morning contamination.

“When this happens we have to close the pool immediately and carry out a strict cleaning regime to ensure that any harmful bacteria is removed.

“This is carried out in line with Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group guidelines.”

The advice is that pool users can help due to a faecal reduce closures and keep pools safe by:

• Avoid swimming if you feel unwell and especially if you have had vomiting or diarrhoea in the last 14 days

• If your children are not fully toilet trained, make sure that they are wearing a well-fitted swim nappy

• Encourage young swimmers to use the toilets before they come into the pool. Ensure that they leave the pool to use the toilet before it is too late

• Use the showers before you enter the pool

• If you start to feel unwell during your swim, stop and leave the water

• If you do have an accident please let the lifeguards know straight away so it can be dealt with. Don’t put other people at risk.