A PETITION has been launched in a bid to keep day surgery services in East Lothian.

Fears were raised late last year that the county’s new hospital – which is to be built on the site of Roodlands Hospital, Haddington – would not carry out any procedures under general anaesthetic.

David Small, chief officer of East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership, stressed in December that “proposals for the new hospital are not finalised”.

However, Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, has created a petition in a bid to ensure East Lothian residents do not miss out.

Currently, endoscopy, minor surgery under local anaesthetic and day surgery under general anaesthetic are all carried out at Roodlands.

But the MSP has questioned if there would be cutbacks when the new hospital was built.

Mr Gray 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.”

Plans for the new £72 million hospital are currently being considered by East Lothian Council’s planning officials, with a decision expected in the spring. It is expected to be fully open by early 2020.

Jim Crombie, chief operating officer for NHS Lothian, said: “Local people should be in no doubt that the new hospital will bring a significant number of services back to the county, meaning more people can be treated closer to their homes.

“It is important that we ensure that the services in the new hospital are sustainable and offer a range of services that support the needs of the people of East Lothian.

“As part of the development of the business case, we must look at which services are provided.

“The views of staff and patients are extremely important to any decisions we take. We have already discussed some initial proposals with staff and no decision has been taken. Further discussions are planned with clinical teams and this work should be completed in the next few months."

To view or sign the petition, go to www.change.org/p/save-our-services-keep-all-day-surgical-services-at-new-east-lothian-community-hospital