Tag Archive for NHS Tayside

MSP Welcomes Record NHS Staff Numbers in Tayside

December 19, 2010 Joe FitzPatrick MSP One comment

Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick today welcomed publication of the ISD’s NHS workforce statistic which shows Tayside (and Scotland) has more doctors, nurses, dentists and other health professionals since the SNP came to office in 2007.

The new figures show that the number of NHS staff in Tayside has increased from 13,646 to 14,166.

Commenting, Joe FitzPatrick said: “In these tight financial times with swingeing cuts being imposed on Scotland by the Westminster Tory government, I am very pleased that the Scottish Government has managed to ensure we still have more doctors, nurses, dentists and other health professionals working than when the SNP came to office.

“The SNP has made frontline healthcare a priority and ensuring we have more staff than before we came to office is something to be proud of.

“Nationally, all medical sectors have seen increases in numbers, a fact which this SNP Government is particularly proud of.

“The real threat to keeping these numbers is from the combined plans of the London parties to take us down a Tory tax trap which will result in even more spending cuts. A Tory tax trap that labour is quite happy to lead the Scottish people into.

“It is the SNP which has the vision for Scotland’s future and offer the only alternative to the decade of cuts planned by the UK parties.”

MSPs Hear of Continuing Success of Dundee Medical School

September 21, 2010 Joe FitzPatrick MSP, Shona Robison MSP No comments

Shona and Joe with (L) Gerry Marr and Professor Connell

Dundee’s MSPs Shona Robison and Joe FitzPatrick visited Dundee University Medical School to hear about the continuing success of Dundee University’s Medical School and the large part it is playing in Dundee University’s steady rise up the academic institutions rankings – up to 140th in the world.  The MSPs heard from Professor John Connell, Dean of the Medical School of future plans and were briefed by Gerry Marr, Deputy Chief Executive of NHS Tayside. They are pictured in the Medical School library at Ninewells.

Public Health Minister backs ground-breaking Dundee heart health programme

October 23, 2009 Shona Robison MSP No comments

Shona with British Hearth Foundation nurse and NHS Tayside Manager

Minister for Public Health Shona Robison welcomed an investment of up to £1.5 million for Dundee that will boost the heart health of the city’s people. Shona visited Erskine Medical Practice to find out more about Hearty Lives Dundee, the flagship programme being delivered in partnership by British Heart Foundation Scotland and NHS Tayside.

Hearty Lives Dundee extend health checks ot 40-44 yer olds enabling an additional 4,500 to receive a health check. The scheme is part of BHF Scotland’s £1.5m boost to heart health in the city.

Shona said: “The Scottish Government has been working closely with BHF Scotland in developing our Hearth Disease and Stroke Action Plan and I’m really keen to continue working with them to take forward the wide range of actions we’ve identified, including our focus on reducing health inequalities.

“Hearty Lives Dundee will reach thousands of people who might not otherwise have access to health checks and will identify clinical risk factors for heart disease and other potentially life-changing illnesses and prevent premature deaths.”

Labour ‘Hypocrisy’ on Ninewells Car Parking Exposed

September 3, 2008 Joe FitzPatrick MSP No comments

The announcement by Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon abolishing car parking charges at all of Scotland’s hospitals, except the three tied in to long-term PFI contracts negotiated by the previous Labour-Lib Dem Executive, has been broadly welcomed.

The SNP Government has said it will urge the Health Boards with PFI car parking arrangements to take action to reduce or limit their charges.

Joe FitzPatrick Dundee West MSP will this week table a question to the Health Secretary to ask the Scottish Government what action can be taken to reduce the burden on patients, their families and staff caused by the car parking charges at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, as well as the other hospitals with PFI contracts in place.

Joe FitzPatrick said: “These long-term PFI contracts – 30 years in the case of Vinci Park who run Ninewells – were signed in 2001 and supported by previous Labour Health Ministers. Andy Kerr, the Minister for Health and Community Care re-iterated the principle in several debates in 2004 and 2006 and in answers to many MSPs and the BMA, among other organisations, who called for car parking fees to be scrapped.

The Scottish Executive’s guidance on the subject to local health boards on 2004 was that they could enter into any arrangements to provide car parking as long as the charges were not excessive. The guidance revolved around the issue of ‘determining the need for charges and identifying the issues to be considered in setting car park charges.’”

Commenting on the situation, Dundee West SNP Candidate Councillor Jim Barrie said: “The undoubtedly lucrative nature of the PFI contracts, which may involve income of up to £2.3m per year from Ninewells as opposed to the revenue which the NHS Tayside Board receives, at 6% or £50,000 whichever is greater, has been often commented upon. Yet Labour politicians at no time, until now, have called for the contracts to be ended, or ‘re-negotiated’ at public expense of £50 million.

Now Labour politicians are jumping on the bandwagon calling for the SNP Government to attempt to buy out the contracts of the three PFI contracts including Ninewells which the previous Labour administration created. This is complete ‘hypocrisy and opportunism’ and comes as a complete surprise as the MP for Dundee West has not previously condemned the arrangements of the previous seven years under Labour/Lib Dem administrations when visitors and staff at the car park had to pay.”

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