Gil Paterson hits back at Baillie's SNP smearing for health board decision yet to be taken

Last night Gil Paterson back at claims by Jackie Baillie in a debate that the Scottish Government does not support local health services. A quick look at some facts below prove her outrageous claims to be another smearing of the SNP.

​Take a few minutes to watch my speech, and if you can't watch it please see the transcript from parliament below.

On investment in NHSGGC:

Under this Government NHS Greater and Glasgow has a record high budget this year of over £2 billion, which has increased by over 27%.
In 2016/17, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde’s annual resource budget increased by 5.2% to a record high of £2,079.2 million - an above inflation increase, having previously increased by 2.7% in 2015/16.
Board receives £7.1 million (each year for 3 years from 2015/16) from the delayed discharge funding, announced by the Health Secretary on 20 January 2015
All Health Boards, including Glasgow & Clyde, are expected to make savings so to reinvest in their frontline services. £69 million in savings represents 3.3% of the Board’s resource budget for 2016/17.

Infrastructure projects:

Completed since May 2011
£10.4 million public capital - Possilpark Health Centre (2013)
£21 million public capital - Vale of Leven Centre for Health and Care ( 2013)
£18 million public capital- Glasgow Royal Infirmary University Tower Refurbishment (2013)
£842m pub capital – Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and Royal Hospital for Children (opened May 2015 – on time and budget)
£13.7 million - Maryhill Health Centre (2016)
£11 million – Eastwood Health and Care Centre (2016)
In progress (announced since May 2011)
£15 million - Gorbals Health Centre
£16 million - Woodside Health Centre
£38 million – New Health Centres for Greenock and Clydebank

Full transcript:
​
Gil Paterson (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP): 
For the purposes of time and my speech, I will focus on the part of the motion that relates to the Vale of Leven hospital.

History does not bode well for Labour when it comes to the NHS and, specifically, to the Vale of Leven hospital. In 2009, the vision for the Vale ended a decade of damaging uncertainty for the Vale of Leven hospital and for the erosion of services—including accident and emergency—by the previous Labour-led Scottish Administration. The then Cabinet Secretary for Health, and now First Minister, made a commitment to protect the Vale, and this year—on camera and in front of 400 people in West Dunbartonshire—Nicola Sturgeon made the same commitment to the Vale of Leven hospital. If that was not enough, the cabinet secretary reiterated the commitment of the Scottish Government to the Vale of Leven hospital remaining open in front of the Parliament, the public and, again, on camera.

Jackie Baillie: 
I agree that that was all very helpful and I want to agree with both the First Minister and the health secretary about the Vale hospital. Why, then, do we have the proposal before us today? Does Gil Paterson support my specific call that it should be designated a major service change so that it is signed off by the very ministers who said that they would protect the Vale?

Gil Paterson: 
If it was another situation or any other element of the health board, if the Government was telling health boards dominated by the Labour Party to do one thing or another, or if the Government interfered willy-nilly with health boards, Labour Party members and other opposition MSPs would be up in arms. That is not the Government’s job and that is not how it works. The Government will be involved once the process has taken place and not at the present time.

Jackie Baillie: 
Will the member take an intervention?

Gil Paterson: 
I have just answered you, Jackie.

Jackie Baillie: 
No, you have not; you misunderstood.

Gil Paterson: 
That is the answer that I am giving you.

Jackie Baillie: 
It is wrong.

Gil Paterson: 
Thank you very much for that.

The Deputy Presiding Officer: 
Would you two stop having a spat? You can take it outside after the debate.

Gil Paterson: 
I apologise. It is not like me, Presiding Officer.

As it stands, Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board is carrying out a review of services and I welcome the Scottish Government’s view that it would be unacceptable if any proposals were not consistent with national policy—such as the review of maternity services that is being carried out—and the view that any proposals must be subject to proper and meaningful engagement with the people affected.

The motion asks for the cabinet secretary to intervene. However, Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board has already initiated a consultation period and we need to encourage everyone with a vested interest to engage with the process.

A serious question arises from the consultation in regards to the community maternity unit at the Vale of Leven hospital. The Vale of Leven and Inverclyde hospitals provide a wide range of maternity care services to women in each locality with 5,000 non-birth contacts each year, which is very positive news indeed. However, the figures for the Vale’s baby delivery service are shockingly low. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde had a planned figure of 200 births per year for the Vale, yet in 2015-16 the actual figure stood at just 43—less than one birth a week—and the figure peaked at 112 births in 2009.

It must be remembered that women are advised consistently during their pregnancy by midwives and other medical professionals, including on what happens when complications arise. There is a concern that, with fewer women meeting low-risk criteria, there is a higher chance of complications, and it would seem that women are voting with their feet--

The Deputy Presiding Officer: 
You have to close now, Mr Paterson.

Gil Paterson: 
Sorry?

The Deputy Presiding Officer: 
Will you come to a close now, please?

Gil Paterson: 
I will, Presiding Officer.

It would seem that mothers are using the Vale for all other maternity services but opting to have their delivery elsewhere. The figures need to be analysed and the question needs to be asked why the vast majority of mothers in the Vale area are not using the unit for delivery. I want to know about that, not just as an MSP but as a father and a grandfather.

The Deputy Presiding Officer: 
Mr Paterson--

Gil Paterson: 
I will close. I did take quite a long intervention--

The Deputy Presiding Officer: 
Mr Paterson, you are well over your time. Thank you.

Gil Paterson: 
Thank you. [Applause.]

The Deputy Presiding Officer: 
Well, you got a clap, anyway. [Laughter.]