Constituency MSP, Jackie Baillie, has released the response to an FOI request which has shown that the Vale of Leven Hospital’s Out of Hours Service was subject to 85 closures between November 2017 and November 2018.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde routinely provides a GP Out of Hours Service at 8 locations across the board area – Easterhouse Health Centre; Greenock Health Centre; Inverclyde Royal Hospital; Royal Alexandra Hospital; Queen Elizabeth University Hospital; Stobhill Hospital; Vale of Leven Hospital; Gartnavel General Hospital; and Victoria Hospital.

Each hospital was subject to closures between November 2017 and November 2018, but the FOI shows that the Vale of Leven Hospital’s service experienced far more closures than any other with Queen Elizabeth University Hospital second worse at 55 closures over the 1 year period.

In addition to the 85 closures between November 2017 and November 2018, the Vale of Leven GP Out of Hours Service was also closed twice over the festive period in 2018 on the 27^th December and 3^rd January.

Jackie said:

“Patients in the catchment area for the Vale of Leven Hospital deserve a much better service from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

“It is clear that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board is not doing enough to ensure that health services across the area are properly staffed.

“The health board must do more to ensure that patients can access the services that they need in their local area. I do not accept that my local community should have to travel a great distance to access a base level service that should be delivered locally.

“NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde needs to get their act together and ensure that the Out of Hours service is always available.”

ENDS