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£80 million debt run
up by NHS Argyll and Clyde will be scrapped
A “bold move
which puts health service delivery in the North Coast on the road to quality
and security.”
 Enterprise
Minister Allan Wilson, the MSP for Cunninghame North, has welcomed the
parliamentary statement by his colleague, Health Minister, Andy Kerr, on NHS
Argyll and Clyde as a “bold move which puts health service delivery in the
North Coast on the road to quality and security.”
In addition to confirming the widely predicted abolition of the board, the
Minister confirmed the welcome news that the £80 million debt run up by NHS
Argyll and Clyde will also be scrapped.
Speaking after the statement, Mr Wilson said:
“I have been in dialogue with fellow Ministers for some time on the
challenges posed in the North Coast and I urged colleagues not to shrink
from taking the toughest possible action where it is required and I am
delighted that Andy Kerr has had the courage of his convictions to take this
bold move. It puts health services in the North Coast on the road to quality
and security.
“In addition to NHS Ayrshire and Arran’s plans for a new health centre for
Largs this announcement tackles head-on the two issues which are causing the
most difficulty for health services in the Argyll and Clyde area – geography
and debt.” said Mr Wilson.
“Geographically, it doesn’t make sense to have a board trying to balance the
interests of remote and urban communities. If Inverclyde Royal is to
join up with Glasgow to form a new board, the focus can be put squarely on
tackling the persistent public health problems in this part of the world. It
means the new Board can work with Ayrshire and Arran NHS to address issues
of cross border flow brought to the surface by the recent consultation on
service delivery” said Mr Wilson.
“Writing off the debt will be welcomed across the Board area and means the
new board can start planning future services with a clean slate and with
nothing other than the quality of patient care to consider. I will be urging
the closest consultation between Boards following reconfiguration to address
patient interests in this area “
“Last June, the Board presented a crazy scheme to end the IRH’s days as a
District General hospital and cram everyone into Paisley’s busy RAH. That
plan is now dead in the water and, when Professor David Kerr’s group on the
future shape of the health service reports at the end of the month we can
consider how best to meet the healthcare needs of North Coast residents and
get on with building the 21st Century NHS Scotland deserve.”
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