Meeting Future Health Needs in Dumfries & Galloway – a Trade Union Perspective

The September meeting of Dumfries Trades Union Council (DTUC) on Monday 4th September will hear a detailed report from Dumfries & Galloway UNISON health service branch secretary, James Beattie, on some of the challenges currently facing NHS Dumfries & Galloway, which provides health services for 146,500 people across an area of 2,400 square miles.

“The NHS is rightly seen throughout Scotland as a key part of our Welfare State and a highly valued public service,” said Dumfries TUC secretary John Dennis, “and the vast majority of Scottish people are proud of its achievements and the high quality of service it provides – for everyone.”

“But we know that creeping privatisation of the NHS in England has caused problems for the service there and we are determined that no such practices are introduced into the service here in Scotland,” Mr Dennis continued. “Yet every year now parts of the media run scare stories about the NHS, suggesting standards are being eroded, that the service is becoming overloaded and that it faces shortages of staff and funding, with the clear implication that privatisation is the answer to these problems.”

Mr Dennis went on, “As trade unionists in Dumfries we remain absolutely committed to supporting a publicly run and properly funded NHS and that is why we have invited Dumfries & Galloway UNISON health service branch secretary Jimmy Beattie to our September meeting to give us a detailed update on what is happening locally as regards developments in NHS services.”

Mr Beattie, who is also employee director on NHS Dumfries & Galloway health board, has a detailed knowledge of local NHS services over many years and will be providing a review of those services and, in particular, the issues facing local NHS employees and patients across the range of services provided by NHS Dumfries & Galloway, just ahead of the opening of the new Royal Infirmary at Cargenbridge.

The meeting is scheduled for 5.45pm at the UNISON/Unite offices at 1 George Street, Dumfries, just along from Barbours furniture store. All trade unionists are welcome to attend.

For further details please contact DTUC secretary John Dennis on 0789 044 4650.