Replacement Health Centre Campaign
The current health centre is over thirty years old and is past its sell by date. When the Health Centre was built, we didn’t have the same level of population that we have now with the development of the Beeches and New Farm Vale housing schemes. The practice wasn’t expected to provide health cover for areas outwith the town. It is evident as soon as you enter the property that it isn’t suitable for the volume of people who are using it.
The Lochgelly Community Council area has a higher level of people with more than one significant illness in comparison with Fife and Scotland, a higher level of prescribed medication for mental health than Fife and Scotland and is an area of multi-deprivation. The statistics available show that the Town needs a Health Centre that is able to support the people of the town and able to provide the focused services needed in the area
What the Community Council are calling for
- The immediate acceleration of the business case for a new health centre
- the designs to include a new centre with facilities to support the widening range of health and social problems
- acceleration of plans for he new build, supported by sufficient funding.
The Community Council know that we need one now , the people of Lochgelly know that we need one now, the local politicians know that we need one now and the practitioners know that we need one now!
Progress made, but the campaign goes onLochgelly Community Council representatives attended a very positive discussion session with NHS representatives on Friday 27th January and after months of campaigning it appears that we are finally making progress.
The Community Council focused on the facts surrounding the state of the existing facility, the increase in e population of the town and the benefits to be derived from the social prescribing model to take forward our campaign.
The fact that Fife Council had given clear assurances that land would be made available made us more determined to push forward with this issue.
We received cross party support, which itself is an achievement, for our campaign. Indeed there were only two discerning voices throughout the last year.
Now the NHS have finally acknowledged that Lochgelly needs a new centre and have identified their preferred site it would appear that our efforts are working. We still need the project to be funded and therefore we cannot sit back and relax. the project is 'spade ready' and we need everyone to keep supporting the campaign until funding has been provided.
Want to help? contact us at lochgellycommunitycouncil@yahoo.co.uk |
Community Council Pleased that NHS Finally Agree with Their PositionLochgelly Community Council announced that NHS Fife have finally accepted that Lochgelly Health Centre does not meet current required standards! Indeed it prohibits development of a more holistic approach to treament.
Lochgelly Community Council have been campaigning since the start of the year for new Health Centre provision for the town. We have written to ministers, NHS Fife, Fife Council and held public meetings attended by Local MSP Annabelle Ewing and Councillors Mark Hood & Linda Erskine. |
Stevie Murray, Community Council Secretary advised "Our basic arguments have remained consistent, Lochgelly Health Centre is simply inadequate to provide the level and types of care needed! If we got a new build then there would be the opportunity to provide different forms of treatment which helps people to deal with whatever problems they have. The Social Prescribing care model developed within the Health Round Table, which has been widely applauded and is being rolled out across Fife, which the Community Council instigated. This holistic approach looks for ways of prevention as opposed to treatment of the symptoms by directing the patients to the correct specialist."
Community Councillors were invited to meet with NHS Managers at the end of June and again highlighted these problems. We expressed our frustration that they hadn't taken steps to tackle the problems faced by the people of our town sooner. The Managers in attendance were sympathetic to our arguments and although they confirmed that no funding had been made available for Lochgelly they wanted to work with the Community Council.
Stevie added "The last time we met, at the end of June NHS intimated that they want to work closely with the Community Council on this project. We highlighted that if we had a new facility, then there was evidence that recruiting GP's would improve, directed supported would free up existing GP and specialist Nurse time."
When pressed about estimated timescales, they suggested possibly 2019, if they get funding. We advised that this was a completely unacceptable timescale, everyone knows that the facility is not acceptable, Fife Council have given a commitment to providing land for a new build and the Scottish minister has responded that if there is a need then they would support it."
Stevie went on "After months of campaigning, challenging the misleading information which was being spouted about available funds and other minor distractions, it is somewhat satisfying that there has been this level of acceptance and progress."
However, we cannot simply sit back and rest on this small, but significant announcement. We need everyone who uses the facilities to contact their local MSP about the desperate need for a new building and ask them to press the Health Minister for funding to be provided. We will continue to campaign until funding is secured and a more realistic timescale is provided for work commencing.
Members of the Public Urged to Join the Campaign
Lochgelly’s Community Council have stepped up the campaign for a new health centre and are calling on you to help. After months of campaigning the health centre finally published a report which confirmed what we have all been saying that the existing health centre in Lochgelly is simply inadequate for the services we are entitled to.
Community Council Secretary, Stevie Murray explained “Over the past few months we have continually raised our concerns about our health centre. Lochgelly has an increasing population as well as increased usage from residents from surrounding areas.
We are also in an area of multi-deprivation and higher than average levels of multiple illnesses. The problems associated with the health provision in Lochgelly is not down to the General Practitioners or Nurses working in the property, it is recognised that collaborative working is key to tackling a range of social problems encountered in a modern society. The building cannot accommodate the type of working across partner organisations and groups.”
“Lochgelly Community Council were pleased to receive cross-party support for our campaign and the commitment from then Scottish Health Minister that if there was a need then funding would be made available. As a result of the latest development they have written to the Minister asking them to follow through on this commitment.”
We are asking the people of the town to do the same. The Community Council have drafted a template letter which we want members of the public to either post or email to the minister. We will make copies available in various community outlets and through the publications section of this website and our fife direct site.
Additionally members of the public can request a copy of the letter by emailing lochgellycommunitycouncil@yahoo.co.uk
