Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, has welcomed the announcement that the evening service of the out of hours department at the Vale of Leven hospital will be reinstated. This comes after almost a full year of the service running at substantially reduced hours.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has announced that GP out of hours services will be available during evenings (Monday to Thursday, 6pm-11pm) in addition to overnight (Monday to Sunday, 11pm – 11am).

Jackie Baillie, alongside many local people, Hospitalwatch and the Lomond Patients Group has repeatedly called for the out of hours service to be reinstated in full. The MSP has met with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and health board chiefs on several occasions to raise the concerns that local people have about the continued operational issues that the OOH department had. Jackie Baillie also met with local GPs to discuss how best thet could take the service over and raised this option in the Scottish Parliament.

Jackie Baillie MSP said:

“It is very welcome news that the Vale of Leven hospital’s Out of Hours evening service has finally been reinstated. This comes after a year of campaigning by myself, local people and groups such as HospitalWatch – together we fought to protect and reopen this service.

“Huge thanks must go to local GPs for making this reopening possible. We owe them a debt of gratitude for putting the interests of local people first.

“Now more than ever, local people need easy access to vital health services.”