THE SNP PLAY KEEPIE UP WITH THE NHS POLITICAL FOOTBALL.

Few things are as emotive as hospitals, we all need them at some time, every community wants one on it’s doorstep and everyone demands the highest standards from them.

Politicians love claiming that they have helped their local hospital in some way and most never miss a chance to swear that they will defend their local one to the bitter end, this causes a serious problem when it comes to making progress in the NHS. Difficult decisions become massive because of misleading propaganda and the tactic of using those decisions for political reasons.

Proposed changes to health provision cost Labour dearly before the last Holyrood election because of the tactics employed by the SNP who promised everybody that they would not close/transfer A&E facilities or maternity care in several locations. These promises were made without any medical knowledge or expert advice, the difference between the Labour and SNP positions was that despite a looming election Labour were prepared to take these difficult decisions because they believed it was the right thing to do based on expert advice.

The SNP by contrast took a populist line and became the ‘saviours’ of people’s local hospitals, the Americans have a very apt phrase for people who do this kind of thing, they call them “ambulance chasers” this relates to lawyers who chase ambulances with blue lights flashing so they can offer to sue someone on behalf of the patient in the ambulance. In essence the welfare of the people and the future improvement to the NHS were not as important to the SNP as the populist vote. I believe that this shows the difference between us and them and it’s a fundamental one, they put themselves first, if there is any justice they will live to regret this kind of underhand behaviour.

They are still doing this today, the news that Greenock and Vale of Leven maternity services will remain where they are allows the SNP to play the role of local health service saviours, a base lie and cruel manipulation of the public. Pregnant women are already voting with their feet by opting to use Paisley and Glasgow maternity services while the SNP celebrate their hollow and corrupt triumph. Maternity services is a good example of where facilities should be centralised, it’s an argument which lends itself to most health disciplines and like many serious problems the answer is not all that difficult.

An honest question and answer session is helpful, bare in mind that the overwhelming majority of babies are born in a planned way, pregnancies are monitored closely and dates and times all worked out and it tends to work out fine.

The question for partners is this, where would you prefer to give birth, in a small hospital which is near you or in a large one where facilities are better. This question applies to other medical treatments as well, If you or someone close to you were seriously ill where would you rather be treated, in the small local hospital or the large one with all the equipment and expert consultants etc.

I would use the local hospital for diagnosis and primary treatment and ask for a move if my condition deteriorated or it made sense to have better facilities for treatment, this is what should happen, families should be helped with travel if need be, if your child had a serious illness and you had to choose between a local hospital and have to make ambulance trips for scans and treatment at bigger hospitals or move the child to the bigger hospital what would you do ? IMO anyone who says that maternity care in Greenock and Vale of Leven is up to the standard at Paisley and Glasgow is either ignorant or in favour of the SNP’s populism to buy votes and that, is a scandal.