A&E U-turn 'puts cancer care at risk'

Published on Friday 3 August 2007 00:47

NEW cancer services and local casualty units are under threat because of the Scottish Executive's decision to retain A&E services, it was revealed yesterday.

In June, Nicola Sturgeon, the health secretary, announced the reversal of plans to close A&E units in Ayr Hospital and Monklands in Airdrie. She ordered the health boards to rethink their proposed changes.

However, it has now emerged NHS Ayrshire and Arran believes some plans for specialist cancer services and several community casualty units will not be viable if it retains the A&E at Ayr.

But Ms Sturgeon, whose party, the SNP, pledged to overturn the A&E closure during its election campaign, rejected claims that her decision would see other services suffer.

Under planned reforms of services, a specialist cancer centre had been suggested by NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

In a letter to Cathy Jamieson, Labour MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, the board said this was now in doubt. Professor William Stevely, the chairman of NHS Ayrshire and Arran, said: "The continued viability of a single specialist cancer care unit at Ayr Hospital is contingent on the model of care selected by the [health] secretary."

The board had also planned community casualty units at Girvan, Cumnock and Irvine, but they, too are on hold until new plans are scrutinised independently and approved by Ms Sturgeon.

There are also concerns about what services may be sacrificed in Lanarkshire in order to retain the Monklands A&E. This includes doubt over a revamp of Airdrie Health Centre.

Ms Sturgeon said she had made it clear to boards that they should keep most, if not all, of their vital community services.

She added: "I see no reason why that can't be achieved and, when the final proposals come to me for approval, I'll be looking very closely at them to make sure that the interests of patients are protected."

Ms Jamieson said she was "deeply disappointed" about the decision to halt work on planned new services in Ayrshire.

"The health secretary should immediately guarantee that these vital services will not be cut," she said.

Andy Kerr, Labour's health spokesman who had approved the plans to close the A&Es when he was health minister in the previous parliament, said the SNP's decision went against evidence of the best way to provide modern health services.

He added: "We are now beginning to see the real impact on local communities, with planning for much-needed services plunged into chaos."