Sturgeon under fire over closure of children's ward

Group Political Editor

Friday 29 June 2012

HEALTH Secretary Nicola Sturgeon has been criticised for claiming that the closure of a children's hospital ward was not for financial reasons.

SHUT: The Herald yesterday tells of the decision to close the ward. QUIZ TIME: Alex Salmond faces MSPs at First Minister's Questions yesterday. Picture: Gordon Terris QUIZ TIME: Alex Salmond faces MSPs at First Minister's Questions yesterday. Picture: Gordon Terris

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Brian Currie Political Editor

The GMB union hit out after NHS Lothian decided to close the unit at St John's Hospital, in Livingston, West Lothian, after the removal of trainee paediatricians.

Last night the GMB's public services senior organiser, Alex McLuckie, claimed "the real reason for this closure is a result of years of cutbacks within the NHS in Scotland".

As The Herald reported yesterday, the ward – which deals with up to 30 young patients a week – will close at weekends and overnight from July 9 until the end of the month.Mr McLuckie said Ms Sturgeon had claimed the closure had nothing to do with money or resources, but he added: "Of course it has to do with money. The reason the ward is closing is the health board do not have the resources to staff the ward."The union warned it could be "a sign of things to come" in the NHS in Scotland and could be "the tip of the iceberg".Mr McLuckie warned: "We could see more of this as Scottish health boards are told to make more budget savings in 2012."As we hear of this decision in the east of Scotland, in the west of Scotland GMB organisers have been informed that while NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde – the country's biggest health board – has received £27.7 million from the Government, they are required to make £60m worth of cuts."Greater Glasgow and Clyde proposes to make the cuts by filling one vacancy in every two. "How long will it be before they do not have enough staff to resource all their wards and other health outlets?"No part of the public sector is going to escape from the austerity measures including the NHS and it is about time we had an honest debate about this."Alex Salmond admitted yesterday the crisis that had forced the closure at St John's was "unsatisfactory".He was challenged at First Minister's Questions by Labour MSP Neil Findlay, who asked if Mr Salmond would "personally intervene so we can get this appalling situation resolved".Mr Salmond said the problem was due to difficulties in recruitment of paediatric staff.He added: "That recruitment process is under way and also a new training exercise is under way. These actions are designed to ensure that we can avoid such things at St John's Hospital in the future."Mr Salmond said Ms Sturgeon would meet Mr Findlay and any representatives from the local area to assure them steps were being taken to resolve the situation.Trainee paediatric doctors were removed from the hospital in April, reducing the number of doctors available to provide out-of-hours cover. Shifts have been covered since then using the existing team and locum doctors.Arrangements are being made for transferring children to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh if they need to be admitted following assessment or if they become ill during opening hours.

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Sturgeon under fire over closure of children's ward

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