News item 14th July 2008

Methinks Thou Protesteth Too Much, Ms. Mulligan.

We have been passed copies of correspondence between one of our supporters and Mary Mulligan MSP. It seems Ms. Mulligan can’t get enough bloody noses to keep her happy, so we are happy to oblige by giving her another!

In a letter from Mr. Glasgow to his MSP, he asked…

Dear Ms Mulligan, following a School visit to the Scottish Parliament buildings recently where you met pupils, you were reportedly asked about the future of St. John's Hospital. Apparently your reply was that only a few services would be removed from St. John's and that it would become a 'specialist' hospital, whatever that means.

Would you please confirm that you are 100% supportive of no further services being removed from St. John's as promised by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing and that you are 100% supportive of efforts to return St. John's as a fully functioning emergency hospital as required by the people of West Lothian?

I look forward to receiving your response. Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Bill Glasgow - June 21st 2008

Ms Mulligan responded...

Dear Mr Glasgow

I am not sure which school group you are referring to as I have attended quite a few in the last 2 weeks. However, I do not remember discussing St John's Hospital with any of them and would never have used the term "specialist" as that is incorrect.

Let me be clear. 2 services - trauma orthopaedics and emergency surgery- were transferred from St John's Hospital to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. I campaigned against the services being transferred but given the circumstances at the time it was the appropriate action.
However, I still believe the circumstances could change again and the services could, at some time in the future be returned. I also resigned my position within the Scottish Executive as a Deputy Minister, not so much to protest at the transfer but because I had concerns about other services, and wanted to spend as much time as possible securing the future of St Johns. Along with my former colleague, Bristow Muldoon, we worked with Lothian Health Board to ensure the necessary staff were in place to maintain a medical A&E at St Johns; and to ensure maternity services were maintained at St Johns. We were also able to provide new services such as the renal dialysis unit at St Johns and increase the number of elective surgeries being carried out.

This has taken time, and quite a bit of work on my part but I believe my constituents deserve the best health service. I did not go into last year's election promising to return services, as the conditions were not right. Others such as the SNP and so-called hospital campaigners did, which showed they either did not understand the situation or they deceived people to obtain votes - both scenarios are regrettable. Let me assure you I will continue to work to ensure my constituents have the best hospital service whether at St Johns or elsewhere; and also the best community health service delivered from the local surgery.

I hope this is helpful and makes my position clear.

Mary Mulligan MSP - 2nd July 2008

In her response, Ms. Mulligan displays a combination of selective recall, ignorance of the facts, and a complete distortion of the history of the fight for SJH. Nothing new there then.

She refers to the “so-called health campaigners”. As the only group in West Lothian specifically campaigning for a better deal in healthcare matters for our population, we can only assume she means us. Quite what she means by “so-called” is perplexing. We campaigned on a mandate clearly and concisely aimed at the protection and repatriation of services to St. John’s Hospital. Nothing more, nothing less. This is quite unequivocal.

Ms. Mulligan on the other hand changed course and policy mid-election. At the beginning of her campaign, she made no serious mention of SJH. Yes she had paid lip service to the concerns of genuine campaigners, but nowhere in her original election material did she highlight the ongoing plight of the hospital. But all that changed when the Labour Party realised just how seriously the people of West Lothian were taking the plight of their hospital. After issuing thousands of election leaflets, there was a second distribution. And, yes, you’ve guessed it; SJH was top of their priorities!

So the only explanation of the “so-called” remark is a poor attempt at self-deprecating humour, perhaps? Don’t give up the day job Ms. Mulligan. Or rather, do, and move over for someone who genuinely believes in SJH as a fully functioning acute emergency hospital!

We in this party are long enough in the tooth to recognise panic in a political party when they realise they have entirely mis-judged public sentiment. The Labour Party is now paying a heavy political price for their wilful blindness, a trait that continues to be displayed in some deluded corners of its membership.

As for her comments about “deceit”, we would not presume to argue with her obviously superior knowledge of this particular subject. We do of course resent the misapplication of the word to our Party. What we can and will say once again is this: when she comes to terms with the pummelling meted out to her party by the electorate in West Lothian, she may be all the meeker a person for the experience, and better placed to honestly represent the health interests of her constituents.

Until then, we will continue to defend OUR hospital from duplicitous people, who by now really should know better.