County MSP Iain Gray has launched a petition with the local Labour party to persuade bosses at NHS Lothian to rule out proposals to end some surgical services at the county’s new community hospital in Haddington.

Mr Gray has launched the petition after it emerged that NHS managers are proposing to stop all surgical procedures under general anaesthetic at the long-awaited hospital, which it is thought will be fully open by early 2020.

The MSP is now urging local residents to back this petition and help ensure that the proposals to end some surgical services are dropped and these procedures continue when the new hospital finally opens.

Iain Gray MSP said:

“East Lothian has already endured a 10 year delay in the delivery of the new community hospital following the dithering and incompetence of SNP Ministers. The revelation that some surgical services may not continue at the new facility has come as a further blow to patients and to the staff currently delivering these services.

“I have consistently made the case for the new hospital being a chance to increase the health services available locally without having to travel to Edinburgh or Livingston, not reduce them.

“I want to do everything I can to persuade NHS Lothian to drop these proposals and find a way of ensuring that surgical procedures under general anaesthetic, such as hernia and dental surgery, continue to be available in the new hospital. I’m urging local people to join me in this campaign and sign the petition to save our services.”

The petition can be signed online at www.change.org/p/nhs-lothian-save-our-services-keep-all-day-surgical-services-at-new-east-lothian-community-hospital-54ecc364-eb68-4405-a0a3-8b9bb91e895c? or email eastlothianlabour@btconnect.com to be sent a hard copy.