Campaigners Take on Parties at Polls Over Hospital’s Future
By Alan Roden Health Reporter
SEVEN candidates campaigning for the future of hospital services in the Lothians are to stand in the council and Holyrood elections.
A retired GP, a former NHS chief executive and an ex-hospital manager are among those standing under the “Action to Save St John’s Hospital” banner.
The group believes the Livingston hospital has been downgraded following the loss of some services to Edinburgh, and is concerned that more departments are under threat.
Health chiefs deny this is the case, and claim the opposite is true.
They point out that St John’s has a new GBP 1.1 million renal unit, a new centre caring for mothers with severe post-natal depression and a new phototherapy unit.
Labour candidates today accused the campaign group of “talking down” the hospital.
But the Stop the Downgrade group’s latest meeting attracted more than 100 people – and campaigners expect to win one council seat at the very least.
Chairman Ernie Walker, a retired NHS chief executive, will stand for the Scottish Parliament in Livingston, against Labour candidate Bristow Muldoon.
Six other candidates will stand for West Lothian Council at the May 3 election, covering areas such as Whitburn, Bathgate, Broxburn, Fauldhouse and Livingston.
“The momentum is like an avalanche,” said Mr Walker.
“Our support is phenomenal and just keeps on growing.
“We’ve got nurses and paramedics supporting us, because there is a real feeling that St John’s could become just a 9-to-5 hospital.”
Tom Orr, 57,who is standing in the Fauldhouse and Breich Valley multi-ward, worked as a GP in Linlithgow for around 22 years before recently retiring.
He said: “Services at St John’s are being whittled away little- by-little. One can’t help but get the impression that it’s being done in a way to avoid public scrutiny and debate.
“Our campaign is bringing this to the attention of the public.”
Ellen Glass, a qualified St John’s nurse who went on to become a manager, is standing in the four-member Broxburn, Uphall and Winchburgh ward – the group’s prime target.
In a speech at the group’s latest meeting, she said: “The hospital is being dismantled brick by brick, department by department, redeployment by redeployment.”
But Bristow Muldoon, Labour parliamentary candidate for Livingston, warned the Stop the Downgrade campaign was a “dangerous distraction” for voters.
“The group is talking St John’s Hospital down,” he said. “Even the staff at the hospital are opposed to their campaign.
“St John’s is treating more patients than it ever has, with a growing maternity department and additional consultants.”
Graeme Morrice, Labour’s West Lothian council leader – who is standing in Broxburn, Uphall and Winchburgh – added: “We have been given commitments and guarantees about the long-term future of St John’s.”
Protests began in West Lothian when plans were first announced to transfer trauma orthopaedics and general surgery from St John’s to the ERI.
In a document published by NHS Lothian before the election campaign, called Reality not Rumours, the organisation said:
St John’s is treating more inpatients and day cases than in the past and it is a key part of NHS Lothian’s plans now and in the future.”
(c) 2007 Evening News; Edinburgh (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.