NHS absence from hospital meeting comes under fire

A meeting was held at the weekend to discuss the future of the Galloway Community Hospital

A decision by health bosses in south-west Scotland not to attend a public meeting to discuss the future of a community hospital has provoked heavy criticism.

Dumfries and Galloway councillor Willie Scobie stated there was "widespread anger" from the 200 people who turned up to the meeting in Stranraer on Saturday.

He has written to Health Secretary Neil Gray, calling on him and other NHS chiefs to attend a meeting in order to ease local fears over the scale of potential cutbacks.

Before the meeting, NHS Dumfries and Galloway said it would not be attending while a review plan for the Galloway Community Hospital was still being drafted.

Residents 'left furious'

The Galloway Community Hospital Action Group organised the meeting due to what it described as "fear and alarm" about potential cuts after the health board warned it faced a deficit of £35m.

Mr Scobie, who chairs the group, said concerned residents in Stranraer's Ryan Centre Theatre were "furious at the inability to have questions answered".

NHS Dumfries and Galloway has highlighted that it set out a medium-term plan for the hospital in April.

In a statement, it said it had explained its position to the action group during a meeting on 4 March and needed to review and consider how to "best meet challenges, such as recruiting and retaining staff".

It added that it was fully committed to engaging with all stakeholders once, and if, a scope of review was "established and agreed".

Follow the BBC for the South of Scotland on X.

Listen to news for Dumfries and Galloway on BBC Sounds.