Shackled by uK-wide shortage of staff

I very much welcome the commitment from the Health secretary to the reinstatement of 24/7 children’s services at st John’s Hospital.

the Health secretary reemphasised her dedication to progressing towards the royal College’s recommendation for a safe and sustainable 24/7 children services and told the chamber that the Health Board has set out a number of milestones for a reinstatement of the service with the aim of having the service back on a sustainable basis as quickly and as safely as possible.

Ms Freeman also told the chamber that as well as recruiting one advanced paediatric nurse practitioner already able to support the out of Hours rota, another will be able to do this from october – a third by the end of 2019.

More longterm, the board has just recruited three more trainees , two of whom will be available to support the rota in a year’s time and the third will be available the following year.

two advanced neonatal nurse practitioners start training this month.

It is disappointing that a uK-wide shortage of consultant paediatricians has meant it has taken longer than expected to implement the report from the royal College of paediatrics and Children’s Health.

However, today’s comments from the Health secretary show a clear commitment to st John’s children’s ward and the children and families of West Lothian and I look forward to her update to parliament in January.

FIONA HYSLOP, SNP MSP