Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
War of words erupts over hospital review
Monklands politicians have clashed over the Scottish Government’s independent review into the future of Monklands Hospital.
Former Coatbridge MSP Elaine Smith fears any decision to close the facility’s current site would see hospital services removed from “the heart of the community”, while her colleague and Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard called it a “slap in the face to the people of Monklands”.
But Airdrie’s MP Neil Gray and MSP Alex Neil – who requested the review – welcomed its findings and rounded on Scottish Labour’s “ignorant and irresponsible” response to the document.
Coatbridge MSP Fulton MacGregor called the report “broadly fair and balanced” while calling for “some specific and specialist services” to be retained on the current site.
During last week’s First Minister’s Questions, Central Scotland MSP Ms Smith said: “I supported Nicola Sturgeon’s decision as health secretary in 2007 to stop the downgrading of Monklands A&E.
“But now her health secretary has taken a decision to close the hospital on its current site.
“The people of Airdrie and Coatbridge need our hospital in the heart of our community, so will the First Minister order a rethink of this shocking decision?”
Ms Sturgeon responded: “There is an absolute commitment on the part of this government to see a replacement hospital for Monklands built, which will include A&E services.”
The First Minister added there is “not enough room” on the current site to build a new hospital, as this would require the demolition of the current hospital and potentially leave patients without services.
Mr Leonard said: “Excluding the existing site from further consultation on the future of Monklands Hospital is nothing short of a betrayal of the local community.
“The community wanted the cabinet secretary to step in and save their hospital – instead she has effectively stepped in and ordered its closure, with the site of a new hospital yet to be identified.
“It is a slap in the face to the people of Monklands who have petitioned for a new hospital to be built on the current site.
“The new Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow was built on the same site as an existing hospital; if this can be done for the people of Glasgow it can be done for the people Monklands.”
Airdrie MP Neil Gray commented: “In proposing that Monklands Hospital should remain on the current site, Labour parliamentarians are showing how ignorant and irresponsible they are with the health of local people.
“They appear clueless that there is not enough space to build a new hospital on the current site. It would be near impossible without demolishing the existing hospital leaving people with nothing while the new hospital is being built. Labour has completely lost the plot on this.
“This review highlights the need for the people of Monklands to have a greater and more proportionate say over where they want their hospital to be.
“That is what we have been saying from the beginning and why we asked Ms Freeman to consider this review.
“I hope the idea of a citizens’ jury can be looked at quickly and its membership drawn from the Monklands catchment.
“The clinicians involved have done a great job creating a clinical model that works, which gives us a good point to work from.
“I hope we can all move forward quickly and work together to build the fantastic new hospital the people of Monklands need and deserve.”
Alex Neil MSP added: “Since this review was commissioned, it has become even clearer that the Gartcosh site isn’t fit for purpose.
“The blue water scandal at St Ambrose and Buchanan High schools has rendered any idea of building a new state-of-art hospital on a former steelworks site as absurd and unacceptable.
“I hope the health board will recognise that, for any proposal to carry the necessary level of public support and the trust of the wider community, the new hospital has to be built within the Monklands area.”
Fulton MacGregor, Coatbridge’s MSP, responded: “I fully welcome the review report on the future of Monklands Hospital.
“I think the findings are broadly fair and balanced and it is right that there is public trust in the consultation process.
“I think that NHS Lanarkshire should broaden their site options so that we can get a full and proper conversation about the future of our health services across Monklands.
“Given the demographics and needs of the area, I’ll also be continuing to push for retaining some specific and specialist services on the current site wherever the new hospital is going to be.”