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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Board downgrade plans criticised | Board downgrade plans criticised |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A health board's handling of plans to downgrade the Vale of Leven hospital in West Dunbartonshire has been criticised by an independent panel. | A health board's handling of plans to downgrade the Vale of Leven hospital in West Dunbartonshire has been criticised by an independent panel. |
| The panel, appointed by the Scottish Government, said NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde failed to assess the risks and the alternatives. | The panel, appointed by the Scottish Government, said NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde failed to assess the risks and the alternatives. |
| Experts found the health board made it impossible to assess value for money. | Experts found the health board made it impossible to assess value for money. |
| The hospital in Alexandria faced losing its birthing unit, anaesthetics and unscheduled medical care. | The hospital in Alexandria faced losing its birthing unit, anaesthetics and unscheduled medical care. |
| Some of its mental health beds were also due to go. | Some of its mental health beds were also due to go. |
| Shortly after the SNP was elected to government on a pledge to save local hospitals, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde announced proposals to further downgrade services at the hospital. | Shortly after the SNP was elected to government on a pledge to save local hospitals, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde announced proposals to further downgrade services at the hospital. |
| It is important to emphasise that we will consider all of the panel's conclusions before making decisions on how to proceed Catriona RenfrewNHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde | |
| Vale of Leven maternity unit closed in October 2002 and its accident and emergency unit was shut down two months later. | |
| Health chiefs announced in May that they wanted to scale back emergency procedures and other hospital services. | |
| The proposals recommended that future emergency patients should instead go to the Paisley's Royal Alexandra Hospital. | |
| But in July, Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said no final decision had yet been taken. | |
| Catriona Renfrew, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's director of corporate planning and policy, said that they had just received the latest report and so far only had the opportunity to note its key conclusions. | |
| She added: "We recognise that the report has raised a number of important issues which we obviously need to carefully consider, we are encouraged that the panel have concluded that many of our proposals are based on sound principles. | |
| "It is important to emphasise that we will consider all of the panel's conclusions before making decisions on how to proceed." |