Newton Mearns health centre calls

At this week's meeting of the

community council the seeds of a

campaign were sown as members

asked elected representatives to

canvas the local council.

The general

feeling from the meeting

claimed it is remiss of the local

health board in failing to make

adequate provision for the Newton

Mearns area.

Community council chairman

David Jesner said: "It's unbelievable

for a relatively wealthy community

of this size to be deprived

by the lack of foresight of the

health board of a suitable medical

facility".

Mearns already has three doctors

surgeries spread across the

G77 area, in Maple Avenue, Mearns

Road and Harvie Avenue — but

no dedicated facility run by the

Greater Glasgow and Clyde

healthcare partnership.

It's an issue that's often been

raised in the past, and the fresh

calls are timely for local politicians

to pounce upon in the run-up to

this year's general election.

But a spokesman for East

Renfrewshire Council told The

Extra that any such idea would

have to be a joint-run centre

between the GGCHCP and the

council.

He added: "The Barrhead

health centre is a joint production.

"The ERC view is that there is

an adequate provision of health

facilities already in Newton

Mearns and broadly across the

Eastwood side of the local authority

area.

"If a business case could be

stood up, then obviously we would

look at what is being proposed, but

that is a long process.

"There'd also be the question of

where such health centre would be

sited and how, in the present economic

climate, one would be funded."

There is an additional medical

facility proposed for Newton

Mearns—within the blueprint for

the new Greenlaw Village complex

near the M77 junction four.

An 8,000sq foot doctors' surgery

is proposed to overlook Stewarton

Road and under the plans, there'd

also be provision for an optician

and dentist.