Report to the People
11th December 2006
Back
from the Dead
I
might be the eternal optimist - I still think Paul Le Guen can turn it around at
Ibrox and that Celtic will eventually get an away win in the Champions’ League
- but there was a point a few years ago when even I thought the number was up
for Inverclyde Royal Hospital.
The
old Argyll & Clyde board seemed determined to condemn it to death by a
thousand cuts, move our acute services to Paisley and close our Accident and
Emergency unit.
Since
those dark days, though, the health board has been abolished and replaced with
the new NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, giving us access to more clinicians and
world-class services.
Now,
though, we have won the ultimate prize: a clear future for our hospital.
As
you will have read when the Telegraph
broke the story on Thursday, the Health Minister is backing plans from the new
board to secure the IRH’s Accident and Emergency department.
Inpatient services such as trauma, orthopaedics and general surgery are
also safe - meaning that patients with breathing difficulties, or severe
abdominal pain will still go the IRH, not to Paisley.
In
addition, the Health Minister has assured me that the questions we’ve raised
over access to services will be top of the board’s agenda as it moves forward
with these improvements.
The
Health Board must now, as we know, officially consult on their plans.
But, although I wondered if I’d ever say it, this is one consultation
I’m actually looking forward to.
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