THE argument over the future of Out of Hours (OOH) Urgent Care in NE Fife has been raging for months now, and I have been listening carefully to what people are saying. Of course, this isn’t just a NE issue, it affects everyone in Fife, and whatever solution the Integration Joint Board (IJB) comes up with, it needs to deliver the right care, where and when it’s needed, for all Fifers.”

The recent Joining Up Care Consultation, which included Urgent OOH Care (what you get when GP surgeries are closed, and which does NOT include 999 service) proposes to permanently close the OOH service at Glenrothes and St Andrews Hospitals and focus resources at Victoria (Kirkcaldy) and possibly Queen Margaret (Dunfermline). The vast majority of the feedback from the consultation has come from St Andrews and East Neuk residents. 7,000 plus people have protested the closure of the NE service, mainly on the grounds of the typical travel time to get to Victoria Hospital.

Residents point out that they will see the travel time to reach a GP increase by an hour or more, and that has folk extremely worried. Arranging emergency child care, managing a sick relative, coping with narrow country roads on Winter nights. These are all absolutely legitimate concerns that the IJB needs to take into account.”

I absolutely get the concerns of the many Fifers who have written to me about this. There is a genuine fear that NE Fife is being unfairly treated because of its relative isolation and that we will increase the risk to people's health. I have asked the IJB leadership to ensure that options to address these concerns are placed on the table come decision time. There are problems to be overcome. The solution has to be clinically safe and sustainable. There is a shortage of GPs and nurses. But where there’s a will there’s a way and we have to listen to the people.

The IJB will receive a report on the results of the consultation on December 20, and decide on the way forward.

DAVE DEMPSEY,

Conservative Leader

on Fife Council.