Fears that Stracathro is at risk once more

Stracathro Hospital campaigners who led the effort to secure the Angus site’s future almost two decades ago fear the crisis engulfing NHS Tayside may, again, put the hospital at risk.

Former Angus Provost Ruth Leslie Melville and Margaret Smith were at the forefront of the successful Save Stracathro campaign which brought a 2002 pledge to retain the establishment in what was then hailed a “victory for reason”.

The spotlight turned back on Angus with the ultimately unsuccessful fight to retain the Mulberry adult mental health unit at the Susan Carnegie centre but NHS Tayside bosses have repeatedly stressed the hospital has a secure future, most recently in January this year when local SNP MSP Mairi Gougeon received assurances over the hospital’s role.

She was told elective surgery will increase there, with plans to increase patient numbers through cross-border agreements with NHS Grampian and NHS Fife.

However, both Angus campaigners said the continuing concern over north Angus health provision and the latest developments which have resulted in the two high-profile Tayside board departures remain a source of worry.

Retired occupational therapist Mrs Smith said: “I am deeply concerned that the wider situation NHS Tayside finds itself in, could see Stracathro under threat once again.

“My understanding is that registrars at Ninewells say they won’t drive to Stracathro, leaving patients with no option to travel to Ninewells, which has very poor parking facilities.

“Worse still, some patients that might have expected to be treated at Stracathro are not even being treated at Ninewells, but are having to travel even further to Perth.”

Mrs Smith added: “People in Angus must wake up to the fact that the battle we fought so hard to win, may have to be fought again.”

Mrs Leslie Melville, who also served on Tayside Health Council, said: “I am absolutely incensed by this whole situation.

“I think they want to stop being prima donnas, look into the business sector and find someone with a sound business background to run things.

“When you think of the effort and work that was put in to save Stracathro, I am simply incensed by the changes and cutbacks that we have seen, brought about by mismanagement.”