Dumbarton’s MSP was set to meet health board chiefs for crunch talks.
MSP Jackie Baillie was due to lay her cards on the table when she met with executives from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde today (Monday).
It comes in the wake of our revelations two weeks ago after we told how Alexandria woman Val McLean was turned away from the Vale Hospital’s out-of-hours service.
The 52-year-old was suffering from septicaemia when she mistakenly turned up at the North Main Street facility.
She had been asked by NHS 24 to attend at Paisley but in a mix-up attended the hospital in ‘Alexandria’, rather than Paisley’s Royal Alexandra.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde bosses later issued an apology to ailing Val, who was eventually treated at the Renfrewshire hospital after staff at the Vale refused entry.
Now constituency MSP and Labour’s health spokesperson Ms Baillie, was scheduled to meet with health chiefs and it is understood the situation surrounding out-of-hours provision at the troubled Vale of Leven Hospital, would be on the table for discussion.
She is also expected to meet separately with representatives from the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Hospitalwatch campaigners are also due to meet with NHS bosses next month.
Dr Patrick Trust of Lomond Patients Group told the Lennox last week
that the issue must be looked at as a priority.
Dr Trust said: “I think everyone would hope that [what happened to Val McLean] doesn’t happen again including the hospital management.
“We need absolute certainty that the front doors are not locked.
“They are locked because of Covid and I understand that and I can understand the fact that they want people to book an appointment to avoid a big crowd at the hospital.
“But NHS24 doesn’t work well enough to allow that in my opinion.”
Dr Trust was himself a doctor responsible for the out-of-hours facility at the Vale previously and believes that not allowing treatment or proper assessment for people who present at the Vale Hospital is potentially leading to a greater number of patients showing up at the doors of A&E.
He told the Lennox: “The numbers have gone up over 60 percent because patients either can’t get through to their GPs or can’t get through to 111 (NHS 24). They turn up to A&E. We have to have an open door because we will avoid disaster that way.
“Unless NHS24 answers immediately like a 999 service, it’s no good. It’s all very well telling people they are not an emergency but they may not know that.”
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