KINGLASSIE MSP Jenny Gilruth hopes that the people of the village will take part in the consultation process on the way ahead for out of hours health cover.

Fife’s Health and Social Care Partnership, the body with ultimate responsibility for any decision to close GP out of hours services, published a list of its proposed public consultation events.

The move comes following the Partnership’s decision to introduce ‘emergency contingency measures’ back in April.

A consultation meeting will take place on Tuesday August 20 at the CISWO, South Street, Glenrothes, at 8.30pm.

Commenting on the public consultation, Glenrothes MSP, Jenny Gilruth said: “I am glad Fife’s Health and Social Care Partnership have now published their proposed list of public consultation events. I will work proactively to ensure the events in my constituency are well attended.

“I am, however, disappointed it has taken 123 days to get to this point. Engaging the public is at the heart of the Scottish Government’s transformative agenda for Health. Retrospective engagement is now proposed, but I remain concerned it is being conflated with a wider local agenda".

She added: “Fife’s Health and Social Care Partnership need to publicise the exact purpose of these events with absolute transparency. If the partnership plans to permanently close Glenrothes Hospital’s GP out of hours service, then it should be upfront about it - and it should consult specifically and exclusively on that service.”

In 2013 Glenrothes Hospital’s out of hours service faced closure by the previous NHS Fife Board - a move which was eventually overturned.

Following the integration of Health and Social Care the decisions on the future out of hours services now ultimately rest with the members of Fife’s Integrated Joint Board.

The MSP added that GP numbers in Fife are higher in 2018 than they were comparatively in 2017.