Councillor hits out at closures

Councillor Johnston, an SNP member for the area including Kildrum, is demanding action to compensate for the loss of this facility. He sent a 13-question letter to nursing director Anne Armstrong seeking to establish whether a right to appeal exists after the NHS Lanarkshire Board approved the decision on September 28.

Said Councillor Johnston, “The Review Group changed their original recommendations and allowed Treatment Room services to remain at Condorrat Health Centre. If this can be done for the 4,800 Condorrat patients,it can be done for the 5,700 patients in Kildrum.

“Should the closure stand, I want some reasonable prioritisation for Kildrum patients. Kildrum is the only community losing out completely under the rationalisation of Treatment Rooms. So it is only fair that Kildrum patients should be first in the queue for the stated benefits of the rationalisation. The Treatment Room reforms are to free up District Nurses for more home visits to the housebound. I want to see clear benefits for the Kildrum housebound and some extension of District Nurse services to the semi-housebound, to cut out their longer journeys to the Town Centre or to Abronhill.

“I also wish clear benefits for those who suffer multiple diseases, to save them having to make unnecessary, repeated journeys to the Town Centre for endless blood samples when one sample suffices.

“I have also called for a look at parking at the Central Health Centre. If 23,331 patients at the central Health Centre are to be joined by a further 5,700 from Kildrum, parking pressures will have to be carefully considered.”

The decision to close Kildrum’s treatment room continues to draw political fire. The SNP, Labour and the Scottish Socialist Party have all condemned the move, as was highlighted at a recent public meeting in Kildrum.