We must keep Fife’s out-of-hours services

Sir, – By any standards the campaign to keep an out-of-hours service at Glenrothes Hospital in 2012/13 was a success for local democracy.

There were two reasons it proved fruitful.

One was the commitment and energy of local activists and medical practitioners. The other was that, at the time, there were elected Fife Health Board members who were able to overturn the closure proposal at a board meeting, albeit by the narrowest of margins.

Those elected members may have gone but there is still a need for vigilance to prevent the temporary closure from becoming permanent (“Fears outof-hours services at hospitals could be lost for good”, The Courier, April 6).

Senior health board officials – some very strong supporters of closure five years ago – still need to be held to account.

Questions do need to be asked about the reasons for the staff shortages at the out-ofhours services throughout Fife.

Local MSP Jenny Gilruth must press both health board chairwoman Tricia Marwick and Scottish Health Secretary Shona Robison to ensure the matter is dealt with fairly.

No doubt the facilities at Victoria Hospital for out-of-hours treatment are very good, but the arguments about access, transport and resources were gone over at length when the viability of the local centres was discussed half a decade ago.

Ms Robison has already had to swallow her pride and take action over what has happened at Tayside Health Board.

In the interest of local democracy she should keep a close eye on Fife officials and how they handle the region’s out-of hours services. Bob Taylor. 24 Shiel Court, Glenrothes.

A correspondent argues, in the interest of local democracy, Scottish Health Secretary Shona Robison must monitor how Fife officials handle the region’s out-of-hours services.