Finnie criticises "naïve" assumptions

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 3rd Aug 2007

Scottish Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary Ross Finnie MSP has condemned the Scottish Health Secretary as naïve for believing that she could keep Ayr Accident and Emergency open without jeopardising the planned improvements in community healthcare in Ayrshire.

Commenting, Mr Finnie said:

"It was naïve for the Health Secretary to believe that she could reverse the decision to close Ayr Accident and Emergency without jeopardising the planned improvements to community healthcare and a new cancer unit.

"Now she has passed the buck to the Health Boards, setting them the almost certainly impossible task of reconfiguring the services in Ayrshire, within a limited budget and including extending the opening hours for Ayr Accident and Emergency, which has never been a 24 hour service.

"The Health Secretary must accept that she has made an error of judgement. If she is determined to see improvements in community healthcare in addition to running a full Accident and Emergency service in Ayrshire, significant extra investment will be needed."