SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT SAVED HOSPITALS HELP NEARLY 200,000 PATIENTS.

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT SAVED HOSPITALS HELP NEARLY 200,000 PATIENTS.

END TO LABOUR'S "CUT AND SHUT" APPROACH TO NHS.

Accident and Emergency Departments threatened from closure by Labour have treated nearly 200,000 patients since they were reprieved by the SNP Government.

The SNP promised in May 2007 to reverse the potentially disastrous decision by Labour to shut Accident and Emergency departments at Ayr and Monklands and it was one of the first actions of the SNP Government.

In answer to a parliamentary question from Central Scotland MSP Christina McKelvie the Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon confirmed 180,395 people had been treated within those A & Es between 1 May 2007 and 31 December 2008.

Ms McKelvie, whose Parliamentary region includes Monklands said:

“This is excellent news and shows the SNP’s commitment to keeping health care local has really paid off.

“Without these departments patients would have found themselves travelling miles to other A & Es that could not have coped with this demand.

“Labour’s salami slicing approach to local services has been utterly rejected. Scottish Labour's cut and shut approach to the NHS has been replaced with record investment and real local services.

“The SNP is bringing real improvements to health care across Scotland.

“The SNP’s approach to health care means prescription charges will fall to £4 in April as we move toward abolishing them completely whilst Labour increase charges in England to £7.20.

“With specialist child care services retained at hospitals around the country, increased numbers of dentists, record investment in our health services and waiting times hitting their targets the SNP government is making Scotland healthier.”