HEALTH officials will not be attending Saturday’s public meeting to discuss the ‘disappointing’ decision not to re-establish maternity services at Galloway Community Hospital (GCH).
Members of the Integrated Joint Board (IJB) were invited to the meeting hosted by the Galloway Community Hospital Action Group (GHAG) to explain why they did not accept the preferred option of the review body.
However, yesterday NHS Dumfries and Galloway confirmed that no one from the IJB or health board will attend.
A spokesperson said: “Dumfries and Galloway Integration Joint Board have been made aware of the Action Group meeting, but do not have plans to attend.
“Representatives of Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership (DGHSCP) meet regularly with the hospital action group, and have another meeting due to take place in November.”
As for the IJB decision, he added: “We believe it is important that anyone with an interest in this matter, who is keen to voice a perspective, takes the time to read through all the materials provided to the IJB. It was these materials which informed the IJB’s approach to options restricted to low-risk, pre-planned births, which at the time of the report on the subject accounted for approximately 23 per cent of pregnancies in Wigtownshire.”
Despite the IJB’s non-attendance, action group members are urging as many people to attend the meeting in Stranraer Library at 10 am.
Retired GP Angela Armstrong said: “The IJB must be held to account.
“While we all must be concerned about this decision to keep the maternity unit closed, we are keen to see as many young women attend the public meeting as possible.
“We are concerned that should the maternity unit remain closed, mothers and babies who have to travel the treacherous A75 in labour will be put at risk. We dread harm coming to a mother and/or baby as a result.
“We have heard of too many mothers who have not reached Dumfries and given birth at the side of the road.”
Politicians across all parties and levels of government, have also been invited to Saturday’s meeting in hopes that they will challenge the decision in parliament.
Fellow group member and Stranraer and the Rhins Cllr Willie Scobie added: “We have invited our MSPs and MP to the public meeting because we think this disappointing and disgusting decision must be challenged.
“We would want our elected representatives to be raising the matter with the Heath Secretary, Neil Gray MSP demanding the Health Minister intervenes before there is a fatality on route to Dumfries.
“We are prepared to take our case to the Scottish Parliament to highlight the inequity and inequality the maternity service has in a rural remote area of Scotland and want the mandate from the public meeting to do so.”
