OUT of hours services at Queen Margaret Hospital are set to return – if health bosses approve a recommendation on Friday.

The Fife Health and Social Care Partnership will be asked to give the green light to a proposal which will see round the clock urgent care centres in Dunfermline and the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy.

A North East Fife treatment centre and a Fife-wide home visiting service would also be created.

A new transport policy which would include covering the cost of taxis for people who otherwise cannot afford to travel to access out of hours services is also up for approval.

Services at the Queen Margaret were suspended temporarily in April 2018 after the partnership admitted they were unable to cover all shifts due to nursing and medical staff shortages.

After repeated delays, there were fears the service may never return.

The report, due to be discussed by the Health and Social Care Integrated Joint Board, said detailed workforce and implementation will be developed so the new look service could start in August.

It adds: “The service considers that this revised model is clinically safe, will support recruitment and retention and enable the delivery of the integrated model sought, while being more financially sustainable.

“With the caveat that there may require to be short notice modifications to the opening hours of treatment centres in exceptional circumstances (e.g. lack of staff) in order to maintain clinical safety.”

Dunfermline MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “The evidence is now overwhelming that a full out-of-hours service must be maintained at Queen Margaret Hospital.

“This is an essential local service. Fife Health and Social Care Partnership officers and West Fife residents have made this more than clear.

“The partnership must now move forward with making a decision on the future of out-of-hours care, and commit to maintaining and enhancing services at Queen Margaret Hospital going forward.

“I’m also pleased to see that the board will be considering a new transport policy, which includes covering the cost of taxis for people who otherwise couldn’t afford to travel to access out-of-hours services, something I’ve been calling for since contingency measures were first introduced.

“It’s long overdue that steps were taken to increase the accessibility of services.”