MSP asks for U-turn on dental hub plan

WESTERN Isles MSP Alasdair Allan has written to the chief executives of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and NHS Western Isles urging them to respect the ‘overwhelming and seemingly unanimous view’ of people in Uist that plans for a single dental hub should be abandoned.

The redesign of dental services was discussed at last week’s meeting of the Western Isles Integrated Joint Board, whose members were evenly split on an amendment put forward by Councillor Paul Steele not to proceed with the hub model and to instead explore the development of a three-site model. It is now for the chief executives of the comhairle and NHS Western Isles to come to a joint decision on that amendment.

Dr Allan said: ‘Since these proposals were first put forward, I have made numerous representations on behalf of the communities in Uist.

‘The unanimity of representations received by my office against this proposal has been unprecedented. The overwhelming and seemingly unanimous view of my constituents is that the single hub model would be a backwards step in terms of the delivery of dental care in the Uists. The public meetings held on this issue made that abundantly clear.

‘I am concerned that further attempts to impose this solution on the communities in Uist could severely damage the reputation and credibility of the Western Isles Integrated Joint Board. I have therefore written to both chief executives urging them to listen to the communities and abandon the single dental hub model.’