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A Mid Scotland and Fife MSP has described figures showing fewer beds are being made available to patients at Perth Royal Infirmary each year as “worrying”.
Scottish Conservative Murdo Fraser said he feared the figures, obtained using Freedom of Information (FoI) laws, back theories the Taymouth Terrace hospital is being “downgraded”.
Mr Fraser’s party asked NHS Tayside in February this year to provide details of “the average number of available beds” at PRI over the last four years.
The board responded saying the average number of “available staffed” beds at PRI in 2017 was 21,098 but this dropped to 19,605 the following year.
A group of men who smashed in the front door of a Perth pub after trying to steal beer kegs have been told to come forward or face the full force of the law.
A stained-glass window and another glass panel at the entrance of The Twa Tams in Scott Street were destroyed in the attack on Saturday night.
The co-owners of The Twa Tams music venue Chris Woods and Sandy Stirton said the damage to their closedup bar was “devastating” and had made their “hearts sink” as they prepared for future reopening.
But they want to give the group a chance to come clean and pay for the damage before involving the law.
Sandy told the PA: “We have not got an estimate yet, but the damage is going to run into thousands.
“We understand people have had a difficult few months with the pandemic and restrictions.
“Some people made a silly drunken mistake - they were holding wine bottles, all fired up thinking it was funny and egging each other on.
“I hope they see sense because doing nothing to put it right will have negative fallout on their employment prospects.
“They will be caught if we involve the police.”
The response said the number only dropped by three in 2019 but then decreased to 19,333 up to September last year.
Mr Fraser remarked: “This is a worrying disclosure. PRI is a hugely important facility for the local community and this notable decrease in beds is alarming.
“The ability to have two hospitals in PRI and Ninewells in Dundee is beneficial to the residents living in Tayside. However, with beds being lost every year at PRI, its ability to treat patients is being hampered with patients potentially being shifted to Ninewells, which is less convenient for rural residents.”
He continued: “There have been fears about NHS Tayside downgrading PRI for some time now, with the local Scottish Conservative MSPs previously launching an online campaign to stop the downgrading of A&E services.
“These latest statistics only confirm these concerns and give fuel to the overriding worry that many services at PRI are being downgraded.
“PRI has already lost maternity, paediatric, pathology and emergency surgery and yet the hospital serves one of the busiest areas of the country.
“This issue still resonates with residents in Perth and Kinross and with the release of these figures on the decrease of available beds at PRI, we need assurances from NHS Tayside that there will be no downgrading of PRI in the future.”
NHS Tayside was approached for comment on the figures but did not respond.