SNP under fire over GP shakeup

The Labour man, along with colleague Mark Griffin MSP, met NHS officials to discuss options that have been presented in an ongoing consultation on the area’s problem-hit out of hours GP service.

He says he challenged them on the axing of the local service in June last year and that he was “appalled” to find there was sometimes only one out-of-hours doctor covering the whole of Lanarkshire.

“The SNP have once again let the people of Cumbernauld and Kilsyth down with their continuing centralisation agenda,” he said.

“Jamie Hepburn is the Minister for Health Improvement and should be speaking up for his constituents when it comes to the SNP making the final decision on the matter.”

Mark Griffin MSP has written to the Health Minister, asked a question at Holyrood and has demanded a rethink on the issue.

Jamie Hepburn has said he is deeply concerned by the proposals, which he said would see vital services cut permanently and centralised away from the area.