McMillan Welcomes Scottish Government Delivery at NHS Hospitals

Stuart McMillan MSP and Councillor Innes Nelson, have welcomed the news that patients have received over 400,000 treatments at NHS hospitals and units which were threatened with closure under the previous Scottish administration and subsequently saved by the SNP government.

The figures have been revealed in a written parliamentary answer provided to Christina McKelvie MSP by Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon. Since 1997, there have been a total of 405,516 treatments or attendances at Monklands and Ayr Accident and Emergency departments, the cancer units at Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital and the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, the Vale of Leven and Inverclyde maternity units, and neurosurgery units in Aberdeen, Tayside and Edinburgh. All of these facilities had the threat of being closed or downgraded hanging over them before the 2007 Scottish elections.

Mr McMillan said;

"These figures entirely vindicate the Scottish Government's decision to keep these healthcare facilities open and show the SNP's commitment to keeping healthcare local has really paid off.

"The SNP will continue to stand up against the cuts consensus of the other parties in order to protect the frontline health services that matter most to the people of Scotland.

Councillor Innes Nelson said;

"In the past three years, thousands of patients across Inverclyde have benefited from treatment being kept closer to home. For patients and families dealing with child births not having to deal with the additional stress of long journeys and time away from home will have been particularly important.