NHS super-boards look bleak for Dundee

Sir, – It is not often I agree with a senior SNP member – but I thought former health secretary Alex Neil’s acknowledgement of the lack of oversight of NHS Tayside’s budget was valid.

His analysis, however, that this is a consequence of there being 14 regional health boards is staggering.

His proposal to streamline those from 14 to three (perhaps four given the challenges of the Highlands and Islands) does not augur well either for local scrutiny of health service priorities and spending, or for local government and scrutiny by local communities.

It does sit rather well with the centralising tendencies shown by the SNP with regards to police, fire and rescue and the embryonic proposals for education.

At least it could demonstrate it is SNP policy, underfunding and mismanagement which are to blame.

But what of the future for Dundee?

Alex Neil didn’t just pluck this idea out of thin air – it has been around as a health priority for years, along with reducing the number of medical schools from four to three.

The recent targeting of Tayside is just a useful way to soften up the populace to NHS senior management plans.

With no local health board to scrutinise spending and protect Dundee’s highlyrespected medical school and first-rate hospital, what if, as part of cost savings instituted from Aberdeen (another failing health board), Ninewells is downgraded to a district general hospital?

Will the city’s thriving bio labs stay then, and will the research grants come?

The two biggest remaining employers, the NHS and Dundee University will be hollowed out.

So much for rewarding Yes city. Schadenfreude from the rural communities won’t help save the accessibility of health services, it will just make even more distance for those people to travel.

It’s the same old Edinburgh and SNP thinking – and has little to do with more local accountability.

At least Alex Neil has spoken up – no other SNP politician apparently has a thought about the impact of this budget failure in all health board areas across Scotland.

It’s ironic Glasgow’s situation is even worse than Tayside’s but they could still get to influence Tayside’s future. John L Davidson. 98 Caesar Avenue, Carnoustie.

Marc Van Grieken and Dr Esther Sammler, consultant neurologist at Ninewells and honorary senior clinical lecturer at Dundee University, studying a Western Blot, which relates to Parkinson’s.