FRUSTRATED community councillors have urged the NHS not to keep them in the dark over proposals for East Lothian’s new community hospital.

Initial plans for the new hospital were lodged with East Lothian Council earlier this month.

They would lead to the demolition of the existing Roodlands Hospital in Haddington, with a new hospital potentially opening by the end of 2017.

It is expected a new hospital will then be built on the same site and a series of information days are being held in Haddington, Musselburgh and North Berwick, after the Pre-Application Notice (PAN) was lodged with East Lothian Council.

However, community councillors have questioned why no event is being held in Dunbar and what the new hospital means for the future of the town’s Belhaven Hospital.

Jacquie Bell, vice-chairwoman of Dunbar Community Council, said: “They are having public engagement events on the hospital. There are two events in Haddington, an event in Musselburgh and in North Berwick, but nothing in Dunbar.

“This is a major issue because back in 2009 there were rumblings about [the future of] Belhaven Hospital and we were told by the then NHS East Lothian manager that the community would be kept informed with developments.” Pippa Swan, a fellow community councillor, felt it made sense to have six meetings across the county – with one in each of the main towns.

The new hospital would be home to a range of services, including inpatient continuing care bed, mental health inpatient beds, an outpatient department, including diagnostics, day surgery unit for general surgery and endoscopy, as well as shared therapies, such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, dietetics and music therapy.

But there is no plan for an accident and emergency department, something which further concerned the community council.

Mary Young, another of the community councillors, said: “I think we should push for an accident and emergency department. I’m shocked there is not going to be one.” This was backed by Mrs Swan, who highlighted that people in Dunbar – and East Lothian as a whole – would have to travel to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, 30 miles away.

Now, the community council is expected to send a letter to NHS Lothian calling for both an information meeting and questioning the lack of an accident and emergency department in the county.

David Small, joint director, East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “We are committed to involving the people of the county in this exciting project and that is one reason we decided to hold two more public events than are legally required at this stage of the process.

“I am sorry to hear of the concerns of Dunbar Community Council and we will be looking to set up a meeting with them at their convenience.

“The project team has been out and about speaking to a number of community councils over the past 18 months and this will continue as we move ahead.

“We have chosen what we think are the most practicable locations for people to get to, with two events in Haddington as the preferred location of the new hospital.

“In the meantime, I’d like to encourage those with an interest in the project to come along to our events, to look at our proposals and to tell us what you think.” Meanwhile, NHS Lothian has confirmed that the hospital will indeed not have an A&E department.

A spokesman for NHS Lothian added: “NHS Lothian must consider and decide upon the most appropriate and efficient locations for its services in order to properly support the needs of patients.

“This is a community hospital which will allow residents to be treated locally within modern and purpose-built facilities.”