Local MSPs meeting with Health Secretary to press case for Grantown Health Centre completion
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Local MSPs pushing for the re-instatement of the second phase of the Grantown Health Centre project were due to meet with the Health Secretary Neil Gray earlier today.
Badenoch MSP Fergus Ewing (SNP) and Highlands regional MSPs Rhoda Grant (Scottish Labour) and Edward Mountain (Scottish Conservation) have been lobbbying for the £500,000 to be award to complete the promised project.
It follows a meeting with Highland NHS chiefs last week.
Related article:
Cross-party support for completion of Grantown Health Centre
Speaking ahead of today's discussions with Mr Gray, Mrs Grant said: "Last week's meeting was productive, and we have a meeting with the Cabinet Secretary this morning.
"The meeting with NHS Highland was really to try and get the figures for the cost to finish the work as compared with pausing it now.
"It seemed clear that it would cost less to finish it.
"We will put all of this to the Cabinet Secretary in the hope that common sense will prevail."
The blow came last month after the Scottish Government announced that funding for all NHS capital projects is to be paused for at least two years.
More than 250 people attended a recent public meeting held by GPs in the town to express their frustration and explore avenues to get a U-turn.
The upgrade of the health centre was promised by health chiefs as part of a major redesign of NHS services in the local area which saw the town's Ian Charles Hospital and Kingussie's St Vincent's Hospital closed and replaced by the £20m Badenoch and Strathspey Community Hospital in Aviemore.
GPs and staff at Grantown Health Centre have said they are very thanks for all of the support they have been receiving to 'get the job done'.
Kathy Cockman, the practice's executive manager, said: "We are very grateful for all the support we are receiving from our patients in making the case for the final piece of our refurbishment to be completed.
"The letters they are sending to the MSPs and the Health Secretary show just how much it means to our community to have the project finished as planned.
"We hope the meetings being organised by Fergus Ewing will help us demonstrate why it is so important for patient services to have the extension built.
"We would ask that as many people as possible sign the petition, either via the link from our Facebook page or in person at the health centre, as this gives evidence for our MSPs who are working together to help our cause.
"A big thank you also to the Strathy for keeping the issue on the front page and online updating everyone on what is going on."
• Letters of support for the completion of the project can be sent to the Health Secretary Neil Gray at CabSecFORNRHSC@gov.scot and a petition launched by Mr Mountain can be signed at https://www.edwardmountainmsp.scot/grantown-on-spey-medical-centre .
