Hospital consultation put on hold

Three clinicians will review anaesthetic services at the hospital

A public consultation into plans to close services at the Vale of Leven Hospital has been put on hold while an independent review takes place.

The Scottish Government has asked three clinicians to examine anaesthetics at the West Dunbartonshire hospital.

It follows a report which found "no fresh evidence" to support plans to shut unscheduled medical admissions.

But NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said anaesthetic services could not be sustained at the unit.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said the review was necessary before the public could be consulted.

She said: "It is imperative that the local community has access to as clear a picture as possible, including that all viable service options have been considered."

A spokeswoman for the health board said: "We hope this piece of process will enable the Board to move to full public consultation on the future of unscheduled medical care at the Vale of Leven."

People served by the Vale have become all too accustomed to the health board's axe hovering over their key services Jackson Carlaw Tory health spokesman

The local MSP for the area, Jackie Baillie, cautiously welcomed the review.

She said: "It is essential that there is a safe and sustainable anaesthetic service at the Vale of Leven hospital.

"I trust that the expert review will consider every option for keeping this service. "

The hospital recently hit the headlines after it emerged that eight patients had died as a direct result of the C.difficile bug in the last six months.

Since 2000, it has been at the centre of both a public and political row over plans to scale back services.

In 2002, the consultant-led maternity service at the hospital was transferred to the Royal Alexandra hospital in Paisley.

The Vale's accident and emergency unit was shut down two months later.

Scale back

Health chiefs announced in May 2007 that they wanted to scale back certain medical procedures and other hospital services.

The proposals recommended that future emergency patients should instead go to the Royal Alexandra Hospital.

Conservative health spokesman, Jackson Carlaw, said: "In light of the health board's repeated intransigence, today's announcement will be welcomed as a chink of light for Vale campaigners.

"That said - a significant improvement upon her Lib Dem/Labour predecessor though she undoubtedly is - there does come a point when Nicola Sturgeon must stop commissioning new investigations and start taking tough decisions on crucial matters such as these.

"People served by the Vale have become all too accustomed to the health board's axe hovering over their key services."

Professor Chris Dodds, Dr Peter Nightingale, both from the Royal College of Anaesthetists in England, and Mr James Ferguson, consultant surgeon in emergency medicine in NHS Grampian will carry out the review of anaesthetics.

The team were due to report back to Ms Sturgeon at the end of July.

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