Anger as health centre plans are downgraded

COMMUNITY leaders and residents say they are being short-changed after X-ray facilities and a 60-bed residential unit were cut from health plans.

Musselburgh residents fear they will lose out over the proposed state-of-the-art Musselburgh Health Centre.

The town's community council was due to meet last night to plan a campaign to try to get the previously planned services restored.

Campaigners fear the loss of X-ray facilities at the proposed £15 million centre will downgrade it, making it more difficult to attract top talent.

The centre was first proposed in 1998 as a replacement for Edenhall Hospital, but has suffered a series of setbacks. Now residents fear it will not live up to its promise.

Alan Hay, vice-chairman of Musselburgh Community Council, said: "We were promised state-of-the-art facilities.

"But now they are taking the X-ray away because they say they cannot get the staff to operate it. However, they have managed to get the staff for new facilities in Dalkeith.

"Without the X-ray facilities we won't get the consultants and that will damage the overall quality of the health centre."

He added: "We need the 60-bed residential unit for people from Musselburgh. They don't want to have to stay in Edinburgh, particularly if they are coming to the end of their lives, they want to be close to home.

"We gave up Edenhall on the promise we were going to get this state-of-the-art health centre and a bedded unit. Now we seem to be losing out."

East Lothian Council is currently undertaking a consultation on its elderly people strategy, which is expected to be completed by the end of September.

It says the early indications are that it has enough residential beds for elderly people, with 1396 in East Lothian, 89 provided by the council itself.

A spokeswoman for East Lothian Council said: "There is an overriding wish from people to remain independent as long as possible and to be able to access services from their own home. It is therefore highly unlikely there is a requirement for a further 60 beds."

Gerry Power, general manager of East Lothian Community Health Partnership, NHS Lothian, said: "X-ray facilities for the East Lothian population will continue to be provided at Roodlands Hospital and the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh which have excellent and established facilities."

• www.nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
• www.eastlothian.gov.uk