5. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on GP out-of-hours closures at Glenrothes hospital. (S5O-03030)

The out-of-hours service at Glenrothes continues to be closed, often at short notice, because of on-going difficulties in securing staff for rotas. Patients who require to be seen during those periods are redirected to another centre or might be provided with a home visit, if that is more appropriate.

However, Fife health and social care partnership has made some progress. It has recruited an advanced nurse practitioner on the GP rota and an advanced paediatric nurse practitioner, who is now seeing patients. Additional advanced nurse practitioners were appointed in January and the out-of-hours centre is now a practice placement for student nurses.

Nonetheless, I continue to keep in touch with the health and social care partnership about how much more progress it can make in this area.

As the cabinet secretary will be aware, both Glenrothes Area Residents Federation, which submitted a participation request, and North Glenrothes community council have been assiduous in their commitment to ensure that we do not lose our out-of-hours GP service in Glenrothes. Although I appreciate that the decision is not ultimately in the cabinet secretary’s gift, will she agree to meet my constituents to discuss their concerns?

I am sure that Jenny Gilruth will be aware that NHS Fife met to discuss the Glenrothes Area Residents Federation participation request on 15 March. It also met St Andrews community council regarding its participation request on 14 March. Those discussions are on-going and it is important that we allow the board and the community to conclude them. I will be kept up to date and I am happy to speak further with Ms Gilruth, once we know the outcome of the discussions.

Glenrothes is not the only hospital that is affected by closures; St Andrews community hospital is facing similar difficulties. Will the cabinet secretary confirm what pressures are being placed on the Scottish Ambulance Service, given the concerns from the student population that the Victoria hospital in Kirkcaldy is just too inaccessible?

The ambulance service has not raised any specific issues with me in that regard. However, I have had discussions with one of the GPs from St Andrews and I have had an outline discussion with the principal of the University of St Andrews in respect of the additional steps that it is taking, in particular to look at whether there can be more co-operation between the university, our NHS and the health and social care partnership and how we can deliver an adequate service to that part of north-east Fife.