Jo seeks to safeguard East Dunbartonshire Health Services

11.40.22am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 16th May 2006

Jo put a range of questions to Greater Glasgow Health Board's Chief Operating Officer

Jo Swinson MP continues to fight to safeguard health services in East Dunbartonshire as Greater Glasgow Health Board implements its Acute Services Review.

Jo kept up pressure on Health Board bosses in talks held yesterday with NHS Greater Glasgow's Chief Operating Officer Robert Calderwood.

Jo commented after the meeting:

"I repeated the point made at recent meetings with Health Board bosses that services at Stobhill must be retained until those replacing them at Glasgow Royal Infirmary are in place. The recent good news over in-patient beds and services being retained at Stobhill until 2011 is very welcome, however the main issue is still that replacement services at the Royal must be established and working properly before any Stobhill services are withdrawn - otherwise, it is patients in East Dunbartonshire who will lose out.

"The Health Board will reach the second of four review points of the implementation of the Acute Services Review at the end of the year. This is a crucial stage, at which further changes to the way health services are being delivered can be influenced.

"Mr Calderwood pointed to good news he has been able to give recently over decreases in waiting times over the Greater Glasgow area. I welcome this news, but will wait until I see a fall in correspondence over waiting lists in my postbag before celebrating.

"I questioned Mr Calderwood over how the recently formed Strathclyde Partnership for Transport is going to be working with NHS Greater Glasgow to fulfil its statutory duty to provide patients with a quick and convenient means of travelling to hospital."

Jo plans to meet with the new head of the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport in the near future to discuss transport links to Glasgow's hospitals.