THE Scottish Government has again rejected calls to consider offering health services for the Clydebank community – including an A&E – at Golden Jubilee National Hospital.

Clydebank councillor John Mooney wrote to health secretary Shona Robison calling for a review of the decision made two years ago against opening an A&E department in the town, instead forcing patients to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

He also raised concerns of “over-centralising” services when it comes to disaster planning and the persistent problem with public transport for patients.

Cllr Mooney said during the recent council election campaign he collected hundreds of signatures on a petition appealing for the government to reconsider its position.

He told Ms Robertson in the letter: “The people of Clydebank have serious concerns about the lack of local services at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital.

“I now write to you now as a re-elected councillor for Clydebank Central to express our opinion that your decision two years ago that the Golden Jubilee should not contain an A&E department was incorrect.”In the course of the short campaign, I have gathered hundreds of signatures on my petition asking you to reconsider your position on local services at the Golden Jubilee.”

Concerns outlined in Cllr Mooney’s letter included: inadequate disaster planning because of over-centralised services; inadequate planning for public transport to the QEUH; elderly and disabled constituents experiencing a three-hour round trip, especially at weekends; and inadequate consideration for the role of district hospitals.

He concluded: “Going forward, under the current plans the GJNH will be an anomaly. Other specialist centres will have district hospitals associated with them. We, the people of Clydebank, do not feel that we were adequately consulted before any of these vital decisions were taken.”

Cllr Mooney, who also has a doctorate in immunology and worked in the NHS for 30 years, said he had not had a reply from the government after four weeks.

Residents have consistently raised concerns about public transport to the QEUH with SPT and there was a six-month pilot but it has not resulted in a permanent route.

A Scottish Government spokesman told the Post: “Along with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and the Golden Jubilee Hospital we considered the feasibility of providing accident and emergency facilities at the GJNH.

“After careful consideration we came to the view that the hospital should remain as a national centre for excellence, providing regional and national heart and lung services, acting as major centre for orthopaedics – more than 25 per cent of all hip and knee replacements for NHS Scotland are performed there – and continuing as the flagship hospital for reducing waiting times in key elective specialties across Scotland.”