Surgery doubt

We have considerable sympathy for the former patients of Brodick Health Centre who are concerned for the future of their GP surgery.

They accepted without question when the heath centre was closed and converted into the island’s Covid testing centre. We were in the middle of a pandemic and at the time, given its central location, it seemed the right thing to do.

But it is its very central location that makes the surgery ideal to serve both Brodick as well as Corrie and increasingly the north end of the island as well.

And we feel sorry for older residents without a car being given appointments in Lamlash and Shiskine and occasionally Whiting Bay – when offered anything more than a telephone call.

It emerged this week health officials on the island still favour an integrated hub which can consolidate all the work of the health and social care partnership into 24/7 staffing.

But where this will be and how long it will take remain unanswered questions.

What should be made clear to patients now is how the Arran Medical Group, and their health partners, intend to redeploy the island’s GP practices once the pandemic is over.

It is only fair to everyone who uses the service that they should at least be given a say.