Monklands Hospital Replacement Submission

The selection process which had previously seen Gartcosh selected as the site for the replacement of Monklands Hospital was reopened by Health Secretary Jeanne Freeman and new suggestions were sought after complaints were made about the initial process.

It seemed clear from the outset that Gartcosh was the preferred option of North Lanarkshire Health Board, and I felt that the “consultation” which took place was designed to sell this option to the public rather than give them any real say in the process.

The re-run process closes on 13th December and submissions can be made HERE.

As far as I am aware there are currently three potential sites in the running: Gartcosh, Glenmavis, and Faskine. The current site has been excluded from the process.

I submitted the following text to the Monklands Replacement Project Team today and providing it meets all the criteria (which I believe it does) should be included for consideration. It’s an area I’m familiar with and I’ve spent many hours walking and climbing there, however it is already earmarked for the East Airdrie Link road, and development on part of this site would at least protect greenbelt elsewhere.

The area which is referred to in the submission is marked with a thick blue border/red/white dots.

My proposal for a suitable site for a new build hospital would be the land on the north side of the A89 between Clarkston and Plains, opposite the old St Philips School complex (ML6 7JE), contained in OS grid NS76 66. The site is bounded to the south by the main A89. To the west by the B8058, to the north by Airdriehill Road and abandoned quarry workings, and to the east by the village of Plains.
Within the area described are the remains of Burnhead Farm and Burnhead Quarry. The area is traversed by Core Path 178 (also known as Right of Way SM8) and Right of Way SM9. The area is used for grazing by cattle and has two dwellings on the boundary of the described area at the extreme north –eastern corner at the junction of Meadowhead Road and Ballochney Road.

The area described exceeds the required 40 acres, and the area is surrounded by developed land or land with permissions granted for development. It has good access from the A89 and is immediately adjacent to the route of the East Airdrie Link Road which will give exceptional connectivity from across the catchment area. Drumgelloch railway station is located 0.9km away by foot, which compares well with the distance from Coatdyke railway station to the current Monklands Hospital (0.7km). The proposed site is 3.7 km east of the existing Monklands Hospital and would not have a detrimental impact on adjoining NHS areas, and would maintain the hospitals direct link with the town of Airdrie while protecting valuable greenbelt land to the south of Airdrie.

Two Jobs Gaffney and the Monklands Hospital

I was amused to read that Hugh Gaffney MP is now demanding that the present Monklands Hospital site be included in the evaluation process for the hospital upgrade. This will be the same Hugh Gaffney who stated in June last year that he was “delighted” that Gartcosh had been shortlisted, and highlighted the attributes of the Gartcosh site, one of which included cycle routes, a grreat comfort to those who would rather avoid the circuitous train ride to Glasgow and back. Mr Gaffney has held his two jobs for a while now but surely he cannot also hold two diametrically opposing views at the same time, although that is a trait being displayed more and more by the Labour Party; for and against Brexit. For and against nuclear weapons. For and against a new hospital.

Mr Gaffney is not alone in trying to occupy two positions at once. Richard Leonard also petitioned to keep the hospital on its present site and later, to hedge his bets, was photographed with a sign demanding that the health board keep the hospital in the “Monklands area”.
Labour appear to have more positions on this issue than a Rubik’s cube, and are unable to hold one position on it for any length of time. The cynic in me might think that they are merely trying to find a position contrary to that of the SNP (also to be to keep the Monklands in the Monklands) and are churning out petitions simply to ensure they remain in the papers and at the end of the process may inadvertantly have backed the winning site and can claim victory. Or defeat, depending on their mood at the time. Groucho Marx famously said “those are my principles. If you don’t like them, I have others”. In respect of the Labour Party on the issue of Monklands Hospital, I can think of nothing more apt.

As a final point, with all this arguing and flip-flopping going on no one seems to be asking the most important question: whatever the outcome, wherever it may be built, is the funding to build it available? If not then all the arguments about where it should be are utterly pointless.

/ /irdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser, 07/08/19

 

Monklands Hospital: The Tail Wagging The Dog

Letter published in the Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser

It seems quite clear that the preferred option for the location of the new Monklands Hospital is Gartcosh, despite it not even being near Monklands. The recent consultations which took place was more of a sales pitch than anything else, the only problem is, no-one wanted to buy it. The vast majority of journeys made to the hospital are by car, that’s undeniable. But the vast majority of those journeys are made by patients and their families. yet the hospital is being relocated to Gartcosh because it has a rail link for staff to get to work. This really is a case of the tail wagging the dog!

What disappoints me the most about this whole debacle is that the two main political parties in the area seem more interested in playing the blame game than coming together on an issue on which they by and large agree on. Both parties have issued petitions; the SNP against the local health board, despite having their man on the board, while Labour have issued theirs against the Scottish Government, obviously because they have representatives on the health board too. Labours’s Scotish branch leader Richard Leonard is campaigning to keep the hospital on the present site, while the SNP are campaigning to keep it in Monklands. Bizarrely the Labour candidate in the Coatbridge by-election is also campaigning, like the SNP, to keep it in the Monklands area. Confused yet? Our politicians certainly are! As for the Conservatives, if anyone knows their opinion, do let me know, as I don’t seem to be able to find it.

It’s Airdrie’s Hospital

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To: The Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser

Earlier this week Airdrie MP Neil Gray announced that the Scottish Government had announced that it had instructed NHS Lanarkshire to begin the process for replacement of Monklands Hospital. The SNP have repeatedly committed to keeping 3 A&E equipped hospitals in North Lanarkshire and his should silence all those who have said there are plans in place to completely close the hospital and the A&E, and should be good news for the town. I say should, but one thing did concern me about Neil Grays announcement, and that was the phrase “potential sites for the new hospital”. The people of Airdrie have fought long and hard to protect Airdrie’s hospital and the one commitment that must be made is that the hospital stays in Airdrie. A new build hospital on a greenfield site such as Newhouse would be a gross betrayal of the people of Airdrie. The current hospital has good public transport links and importantly is within walking distance from the town; indeed it’s part of the community. An out of town development would be as difficult to get to as Hairmyres or Wishaw and must be resisted by anyone with the towns best interest at heart. Somewhere within the town must be found, and I believe that Craigneuk Park is an ideal site for this. Often touted around as a potential site for another unnecessary supermarket, a hospital here would finally perhaps prompt the much needed and long promised road improvements which have failed to materialise here in the past. Such a move could perhaps even help relocate the football club to a smaller, more affordable stadium elsewhere back in the town. This venture would not only bring construction jobs directly to the town but would guarantee that there was long term employment in the Scottish health service in Airdrie for years to come.
This project is already looking as though it will fail to meet its initial 2023 delivery date, and it cannot be delayed any further as the current hospital is eating up millions of pounds in repair costs alone. I hope all our local politicians can put their differences aside and agree that whatever happens “It’s Airdrie’s Hospital” and that they fight tooth and nail to ensure that it remains that way.