Published: Thursday, 30th October, 2008 6:20am

So much for wanting to consult

Comments (0) | Print | Email

I write in response to the letters to the editor last week, regarding the public meeting in respect of the new primary care centre at the old wireworks site.

In the letters there is reference to the lack of action of local councillors; I would like to set the record straight on my position.

I have consistently urged the NHS management for this project to get the community involved. At the public meeting, I and another local councillor severely criticised the NHS panel for the way they have dragged their heels on the progress of the new centre. This project has been promised for over 10 years now, and at one stage plans were displayed in the Brunton Hall with a completion date of 1999. Here we are today, with still no detailed planning application submitted.

In this time, the population of the catchment area has grown significantly and will still be growing when this project eventually gets off the ground. In 1997 I attended a meeting at Edenhall, where we were told that there would be no loss of services when the new centre was opened. The management at Edenhall has slashed the services, and when Mr Powers told us what services were going into the new building, I asked him to tell us what was not going into the new centre. He waffled round the question and could not give a straight answer. The main service not going in the new centre is the x-ray.

Ms McDonald used old figures from a time when the x-ray was out of action for a number of months to justify the decision.

On winding up the meeting I asked Mr Powers: 'Are you going to take the points raised tonight into consideration when putting the final proposals together?'

Again he waffled and gave the impression that the decisions have been made.

So much for the NHS wanting to work and consult with the community.

These are just meaningless words to them. They have robbed this community of a facility that is richly deserved and should be ashamed and embarrassed at how they have treated us. The NHS management for this project should pause and review their decisions, and take into consideration the public views.

I urge people who are concerned to write and lobby the NHS before it"s too late.

Councillor John Caldwell

Musselburgh East & Carberry ward