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Really Mr Begg, you do want it all on your doorstep down there in the central belt don't you? I have to travel 40+ miles to the nearest A & E and we all do that here without question. We decided to live in this area and made our choice. I consider the central belt is very well supplied by the NHS. Perthshire has only one main hospital and not all facilities are there thus some have to travel a further 22 miles to Ninewells in Dundee. We have busy roads here too and snow!

Subrosa, Now come on - that is indeed a foolhardy arguement to make - and you know it. If you had that option of travelling to your nearest hospital within your own locality - community - or having to travel that extra 40+ miles - what would you choose realistically ? ? I shouldn't even have to ask. Point being that no hospitals should be getting closed down the way in which New labour are trying to centralise and streamline our NHS and Hospital Services. This path being taken is nothing short of a disgrace. We are seeing it with Glasgow - with its A & E's at both The Victoria and The Western Infirmary being "earmarked" for closure. Leaving the only two A & E's within the city being far further apart. The time an ambulance is expected to repond to an emergency 999 call is 8 minutes as most people will know - how are paramedics expected to respond within that timescale when the only two A & E units are at opposite ends of the city ? LIVES WILL BE LOST! Of that I am certain. This cost cutting exercise is not to benefit any ordinarty members of the publc, or those with continuous, chronic or medical health problems. If our elected representatives councillors and politicians alike were the most vulnerable, sick or dying individuals - with bad overall health, and levels of income they would certainly be ensuring that we had as many hospitals as possible, without even thinking of closures. However, as the wage brackets of them, general health and standard of living is so much higher, then it is hardly surprising that they ae making such ignorant, foolhardy and dangerous decisions for the future of our nations public health and wellbeing. I just hope our councillors and politicians can sleep at night, knowing the risks they are placing on human lives in closing hospitals like Vale Of Leven, and the now saved Ayr Hospital. Finally, should the Western Infirmarys A & E be closed I will be personally, and gravely concerned due to the fact I have personally had to use the services of A & E and the Scottish Ambulance Service to take me there more frequently than I would like to. A trip accross the city to the Royal Infirmary, or through the Clyde Tunnel at peak hour to the Southern General would considerably increase the journey time and would, I feel risk casualties lives far more. Human lives are surely worth far more than New Labours unworkable Centralisation policy - I certainly hope so.