Bruce Raises North East Community Hospital Concerns

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 5th Apr 2005

Following a recent visit to Insch Community Hospital, Gordon MP Malcolm Bruce has written to Scottish Health Minister Andy Kerr outlining his support for community hospitals after it emerged that an NHS Grampian budgetary review had cast doubts on the future of community hospitals in the north east.

Mr Bruce commented:

"We have already lost local maternity services across much of our area and would be concerned if the important role played by community hospitals was lost.

"I have represented Gordon since 1983 and during this period the role of community hospitals has evolved greatly. They now serve the whole community offering GP beds, palliative care, convalescence, outreach clinics and minor surgery supported by local GPs and visiting consultants. There is no doubt that this is cost effective and allows for a speedier recovery, relieving the pressure on the acute hospital beds in Aberdeen."

"I do appreciate that detailed decisions on the deployment of resources is a matter for NHS Grampian. However I am concerned that as a result of the current central government funding difficulties facing Grampian, it has been suggested that the number of community hospitals in the North East should be reviewed.

"I have written to the Health Minister urging recognition of the good reasons for the number and distribution of community hospitals in our area, which are not just historical.

"We have densely populated rural areas relatively remote from the major centres. The hospitals are run in conjunction with local GPs and their health centres to the benefit of the patient, the wider community and the large acute hospital.

"It seems that pressure on capital budgets may be the main problem, however this does not justify closing hospitals to the detriment of the quality of health care provided close to patients."