Jenny Gilruth's constituency includes Kinglassie.

'THE future of Glenrothes Hospital’s Out of Hours provision (which impacts greatly on Kinglassie) is under attack for the second time in five years.

Local health officials are once again attempting to close the service by stealth - just as they did in 2013.

At the time, my predecessor, Tricia Marwick, and former MP for Glenrothes, Lindsay Roy, set aside their political differences to save the Out of Hours service by working across Glenrothes to gain support from the town’s community.

Once again, the battle lines have been drawn. I believe that all Glenrothes representatives, irrespective of political party, must stand in unity to oppose the closure. With the backing of the people, I am confident the service can be saved yet again.

The announcement from the director of Fife’s Health and Social Care Partnership, Michael Kellett, came as a shock to all elected members -particularly because there had been no public consultation prior to the decision.

I’ve been working with Glenrothes Area Futures Group to organise a public meeting to address the situation – my thanks to Glenrothes Area Residents Federation who did likewise last month. The next meeting is on Wednesday May 16 in the CISWO. I would strongly encourage people to attend the and to voice their concerns. We must stand up for Glenrothes Hospital in our town’s 70th year. We must ensure we have a local health service fit for the next generation.

This week in Parliament I met with the Royal College of General Practitioners to discuss the impact of closing the hospital’s Out of Hours. I was extremely concerned to hear about the outcomes this decision could have in terms of health inequalities in Glenrothes. In parts of the town 1 in 3 children live in poverty. We also know, from the Government’s own statistics, that people over 75 and under 5 years old are the most likely group to use Out Of Hours. How will a reduced service help these people?

Those who need medical attention are now being forced to travel to the Victoria Hospital, in Kirkcaldy, during evenings and weekends, putting people out of pocket and placing pressure on the already stretched staff at the Victoria. This simply isn’t acceptable. We cannot have a healthcare system based on your ability to pay for it.

Fife’s Health and Social Care Partnership didn’t bother to turn up to the last public meeting. I am told they will be sending someone on the 16th.

Alongside Parliamentary colleagues and community groups, I will fight tooth and nail to ensure the town’s out of hours provision remains open. I’d ask local people to join the campaign, make your voices known and support the fight to save Glenrothes Hospital’s Out of Hour's.'