COMMUNITY HOSPITALS - SEVERE WEATHER SHOULD MAKE HEALTH BOARD RETHINK CONSULTATION

4.11.00pm GMT Sat 9th Jan 2010

Jim Hume, Liberal Democrat MSP for the South of Scotland, has expressed concern over the cancellation of the Thornhill public meeting on the future of community hospitals in the Dumfries and Galloway region.

The MSP, who is due to meet with the Chairman of NHS Dumfries and Galloway soon, has previously called for an extension to the consultation which fell over the Christmas and New Year period, and has repeated those calls again today.

Jim Hume said:

"The issue of the future of local health services in this rural area is of immense importance and the fact that in the first instance the consultation fell across the holiday period will possibly have had some impact on the public's ability to respond given all the pressures at this time of year.

"Now the region is seeing unprecedented sustained levels of snow and this is yet another reason why I believe the consultation should be extended. It is absolutely critical that people have access to NHS officials at these meetings so that they can participate in the process.

"There are several public involvement events planned for this month which are due to finish on the 28th January. Given the problems caused to Dumfries and Galloway as a result of the weather, it would seem sensible to extend the consultation and rearrange all of these meeting so that people can have their say."