TALKING POLITICS Gartcosh plan is unacceptable

Next Monday, October 15, is the deadline for submitting your views to NHS Lanarkshire on its proposal to site the new Monklands Hospital at Gartcosh.

Please send your comments by email to monklands. consultation@lanarkshire.scot. nhs.uk

In doing so, please highlight the NHS Lanarkshire health board’s failure to follow the correct procedures on how it appraised the various sites listed as possible locations for the new hospital. Had these procedures been followed correctly there is no way a decision would have been made to locate the new hospital at Gartcosh.

Only 16 patients were involved in the appraisal meeting out of a total of 53 people. Patients made up less than a third of those invited to attend; NHS bosses made up 90 per cent of the other 37 people who took part. It wouldn’t surprise me if all of them had been told how to vote beforehand.

Of the 16 patients who were hand-picked by NHS Lanarkshire to take part, only one of the 250,000 patients who live in the Monklands catchment area was invited to attend the appraisal meeting.

Therefore, the voices of the Monklands patients have been almost totally ignored by NHS Lanarkshire; it has treated them with utter contempt.

The Scottish Government rules state that, to achieve meaningful results at these appraisal meetings, it is important that the option appraisal exercise is not left to the “experts” but undertaken by a group of people who represent all the interested parties, including those who are directly affected by the project and those who are responsible for its delivery.

Clearly that did not happen. The so-called experts, nearly all of whom are senior managers employed by NHS Lanarkshire, have been allowed to rule the roost in relation to the Gartcosh decision.

They are trying to dictate to local people where the new hospital is to be located; they are tone-deaf to the opinions of local people.

NHS Lanarkshire’s arrogance has got the better of it. It is attempting the biggest stitch-up of all time, trying to bulldoze through its crazy decision on Gartcosh.

So please take the time to let the health board know that [moving the hospital to] Gartcosh is totally unacceptable to the people of Monklands and will not be allowed to happen.

Send NHS Lanarkshire back home to think again.

Mr Neil claims NHS Lanarkshire is “trying to dictate to local people where the new [Monklands] hospital is to be located”

They are tone-deaf to the opinions of local people. NHS Lanarkshire’s arrogance has got the better of it

No holding back