This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-38381491
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Cleft palate surgeries to be centralised | Cleft palate surgeries to be centralised |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Plans to centralise cleft palate and lip surgeries in Glasgow have been approved by the Scottish government. | Plans to centralise cleft palate and lip surgeries in Glasgow have been approved by the Scottish government. |
| The move will mean the closure of surgical services in Edinburgh for the condition, which affects 100 babies born in Scotland every year. | The move will mean the closure of surgical services in Edinburgh for the condition, which affects 100 babies born in Scotland every year. |
| Campaigners against the proposal said it would make life more difficult for families on the east coast. | Campaigners against the proposal said it would make life more difficult for families on the east coast. |
| But Health Secretary Shona Robison insisted it would ensure a "safe and sustainable service" for patients. | But Health Secretary Shona Robison insisted it would ensure a "safe and sustainable service" for patients. |
| Surgery can help babies born with cleft lips or palates to eat and talk when they are older, with Scotland currently having two clinics - in Edinburgh and Glasgow - which specialise in the procedure. | Surgery can help babies born with cleft lips or palates to eat and talk when they are older, with Scotland currently having two clinics - in Edinburgh and Glasgow - which specialise in the procedure. |
| Speech therapy | Speech therapy |
| Ms Robison said the two expert surgical teams would now work together as a single team, with all cleft surgery now performed at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow. | Ms Robison said the two expert surgical teams would now work together as a single team, with all cleft surgery now performed at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow. |
| The new services will start early next year, with a transition period of six months towards a single surgical team. | The new services will start early next year, with a transition period of six months towards a single surgical team. |
| It will only apply to surgical procedures, with no reduction in the number of local outreach clinics. | It will only apply to surgical procedures, with no reduction in the number of local outreach clinics. |
| The wider teams involved in cleft care including speech therapy, orthodontists, ENT surgeons and paediatric dentistry will also continue to be delivered locally. | The wider teams involved in cleft care including speech therapy, orthodontists, ENT surgeons and paediatric dentistry will also continue to be delivered locally. |
| The recommendation from NHS board chief executives and experts has been accepted following a review into the current set-up. | The recommendation from NHS board chief executives and experts has been accepted following a review into the current set-up. |
| Ms Robison said: "We will have cleft surgeons working alongside one another and sharing best practice and knowledge, with an even distribution of surgical procedures, which means patients will get the treatment they need when they need it. | Ms Robison said: "We will have cleft surgeons working alongside one another and sharing best practice and knowledge, with an even distribution of surgical procedures, which means patients will get the treatment they need when they need it. |
| "In any scenario like this it's important to spend time listening to patients, families, stakeholders and experts, which is what I have done, so we can come to a fully informed decision that is in the best interests of cleft patients." | "In any scenario like this it's important to spend time listening to patients, families, stakeholders and experts, which is what I have done, so we can come to a fully informed decision that is in the best interests of cleft patients." |
| Supporters of a 6,200-signature petition opposing the move staged a protest outside Holyrood ahead of a parliamentary debate on the issue in September. | Supporters of a 6,200-signature petition opposing the move staged a protest outside Holyrood ahead of a parliamentary debate on the issue in September. |
| Conservative MSP Miles Briggs, who backed the campaigners, said the centralisation decision was "one of the worst decisions regarding our health service this SNP government has taken". | |
| He added: "Ministers have completely failed to listen to the views of clinicians, patients and campaigners and have made the wrong decision. | |
| "The Edinburgh surgical unit is led by an internationally renowned surgeon and the audited outcomes it achieves for babies and children are among the best, if not the best, in the whole of the UK. The health secretary's decision now risks the loss of all of this." |