We’ll keep fighting until ward is saved
Campaigners take their petition to Holyrood
David Campbell
david.campbell01@trinitymirror.comSport craig.ritchie@trinitymirror.com
Sport craig.ritchie@trinitymirror.com Advertising Advertising lynsey.gair@trinitymirror.com lynsey.07393gair@762401trinitymirror.com 07393 762401 kirsteen.brown@trinitymirror.com kirsteen.0141309brown@4312trinitymirror.com 0141 309 4312 Campaigners fighting to save Paisley’s sick kids’ ward have travelled to the Scottish Parliament to hand in their petition to health bosses.
The Kids Need Our Ward (KNOW) group handed in around 17,000 signatures from people opposed to closing ward 15 at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.
Back in February, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde recommended the ward be closed with services transferring to the new Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.
The board said there was no strong argument which had over-ridden the case for transferring inpatient care to the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.
KNOW members met with health minister Shona Robison, with whom the final decision rests, to formally hand the papers over.
Campaigners, including KNOW spokesperson Councillor Carolann Davidson, Councillor Jim Sharkey, Jack Davidson and Yusef Akgun attended the meeting.
Carolann said the group urged the health minister to consider their petition before making her final decision.
She said: “We pushed for a timescale of when a decision will be made as to the future of ward 15, but were told she still has a lot of information to gather, saying ‘it will be when it will be’.
“We also raised our concerns with Ms Robison that the health board appears to be running ward 15 down, by not replacing staff who have left and that they have told staff that the ward would be operating on a 7am Monday to 7pm Friday basis.
“The minister replied that, Jean Grant, CEO of NHS, has assured her that the ward is being staffed to best capacity.
“Kids Need Our Ward have serious concerns that the health board will try to present ward 15 as not running to its full capacity, during the minister’s visit.”
Ms Robison will visit ward 15 on Thursday to meet families at the RAH and find out about what the ward means to them.
She has also agreed to visit the homes of those who have children with severe complex needs, as they will be unable to attend the meetings – this will be arranged at a later date.
Carolann said the fight will continue, in hopes that the health minister can be swayed to save the ward.
She explained: “If they close the ward then children whose lives depend on access to quick treatment will die.
“The people of Paisley don’t want to lose the ward and we won’t stop campaigning until a decision is made.”
Those who are interested in meeting with Ms Robison during her visit on Thursday to ward 15 can find out more information at www.kidsneedourward. org