Gordon Brown hands over petition to David Stewart
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown handed over a petition of over 17,000 signatures to NHS Fife Operations Chairman David Stewart this week calling for there to be no cuts to hospice beds in Fife.
Mr Brown said; “It is clear that people feel strongly about this issue and I hope that NHS Fife will withdraw the threat of closure of hospice beds in Fife. I have made a point over many years of visiting hospices and I have always been struck by the level of dedication, care and high level of support available to individuals and families. This highly valued service must remain in place and this is the clear message from people across the whole of Fife to NHS Fife”.
The petition was organised by the Fife Labour group in response to proposals put forward by NHS Fife to achieve a saving of £320,000 by closing the 9 bed hospice ward in Dunfermline Queen Margaret Hospital. A paper outlining the way forward for hospice provision is due to be received in private by the Operations Committee next week and a decision is then expected to be made at a meeting of the committee in January.
The Fife MP was joined at the NHS headquarters in Kirkcaldy by Labour councillors, activists and candidates from across Fife who have been collecting signatures over the last month in town centres and on the door steps.
Labour group Chairman Mike Rumney told the Press; “We will continue to support more resources being targeted in our communities to support people who choose to die at home but the fact remains that for many the need to be cared for in a hospice remains the best option and this is why we will fight any reduction in the number of hospice beds and any move to close the hospice here in Dunfermline”.
Local campaigner Helen Law added; “Since NHS Fife first suggested closing hospice beds last May by closing ward 16 in Queen Margaret Hospital, the calls for them to withdraw their proposal have grown and people have queued up in the streets to sign the petition. A cut to hospice beds in one part of Fife will impact on people who need this service in all parts of Fife. That is why the Operations Committees must reject any proposal to cut the numbers of beds and to close ward 16 here in Dunfermline. I want to thank everyone who took the time to sign the petition and I hope it will not have been in vain and those who will take this decision will listen to the people of Fife”.
