KELTY based MSP Alex Rowley has accused NHS Fife of a ‘dereliction of duty’ in failing to plan for the impact on health needs of large scale housing developments.

In a letter to NHS Fife Chair Tricia Marwick, Alex Rowley says that he raised this issue more than a year ago with both Ms Marwick and NHS Fife CEO, Paul Hawkins, and that they had agreed to examine what input to planning NHS Fife has.

Mr Rowley also states that whilst Fife Council has introduced an education levy on every new house built, Fife Council planning officials told him NHS Fife will not plan ahead for population growth as a result of new development leaving them powerless to build in funding for local health facilities.

Mr Rowley said: “It is incredible that we seem to have a health authority failing the people of Fife by refusing to look at the implications of large scale housing developments on local health facilities and services and as a result they simply are storing up problems for the future.

“The planning officials have made clear they cannot require any developer contribution towards health facilities if NHS Fife do not respond and confirm there will be a need as a result of the development.

"I raised this issue with the previous Chair and CEO of NHS Fife and then last year raised it direct with the new Chair and CEO and still they are not responding to, or planning for new housing developments which are happening across the central belt of Fife".

The Labour politician is now to raise the matter direct with the new Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Health and concluded: “I really do not understand what is so difficult about wanting to understand the impact of large new housing developments on local health services and then planning accordingly and building in the funding needed.

"We are paying very high wages to senior managers across the public sector and it is high time they started responding to the needs to the people and communities that pay their wages”.

Mr Rowley has had continued discussions about the problems granting an application for 900 new homes in Kelty would cause for the current health centre.

NHS Fife Chief Executive, Paul Hawkins, said this week: "We received a letter from Alex Rowley last week and we are the process of responding directly.”