Lochgelly needs action not words

Sir, - “It cannot be seen as a political issue either, all parties should unite to support this campaign”, says Brian Schulz, chairman of Lochgelly Community Council about the campaign for a new

health centre in Lochgelly (March 28).

Of course, nobody can deny Lochgelly needs a new health centre, and I don’t think anybody does.

So why are Mark Hood, Linda Erskine and Brian Schulz putting on such a visible campaign?

Could it have anything to do with the fact Scottish Labour is facing wipe-out in this May’s Holyrood election and the following year’s council elections?

Alex Rowley is now so insecure in his Central Fife constituency that he reneged on a promise to stand only as a constituency MSP to bag the top slot on Fife Labour’s regional list.

Mark Hood, a Labour Councillor for Lochgelly, has directed his allegedly non-political action at the SNP Government as the authority responsible for denying Lochgelly a new health centre.

Yet he knows this is absurd because the Scottish Government has already allocated £6 million for 2018-19 for a new health centre, despite failing to receive a formal request for funding from NHS Fife.

Since at least June, NHS Fife has been in the process of ‘‘developing a business case” for a new health centre for submission to the Scottish Government, but this still hasn’t materialised.

Mr Hood knows the Scottish Government cannot suspend due process for dishing out public money and lob Lochgelly £6 million to start building a new health centre tomorrow, just because he’s organised a petition.

His campaign recalls a similarly rhetorical request by the thenleader of Fife Labour Alex Rowley to the Scottish Government for a moratorium on wind turbines just before the last council election.

Mr Rowley knew his request could not succeed but that wasn’t the point – its purpose was to hold out a carrot to potential voters.

Hard questions clearly need to be asked of NHS Fife, of Fife Labour and of Councillor Hood.

The existing health centre has been recognised as not fit for purpose since at least 2007.

Much more critically, health outcomes for people in Lochgelly are substantially worse than the Scottish average.

The lack of doctors and other health personnel adequate to the needs of the people in Lochgelly is the fundamental issue.

Instead of bluster about a new building, it would be good to hear from Mr Hood and his colleagues in Fife Labour about their track record over the last 20 years in reducing the appalling health inequalities in Lochgelly.

Perhaps then their plans to improve services in the future would carry more conviction. Linda Holt, Dreel House, Pittenweem.

Mr Hood knows the Scottish Government cannot suspend due process for dishing out public money and lob Lochgelly £6 million to start building a new health centre tomorrow, just because he’s organised a petition