Moray MP Douglas Ross says it is “utterly outrageous” that the GP surgery in Hopeman appears to have been sold off without the community being informed.
Douglas says he shares the community’s “fury” after fencing and demolition signs were put up around the surgery in the village.
Douglas – who has been fighting alongside campaigners in Hopeman – as well as Burghead – to re-open their GP surgeries says the decision to sell-off the practice is a “total slap in the face” for local campaigners.
He says that the total lack of transparency over the building being sold-off is “simply disgraceful” and says that those living locally and who they knew wanted to see the GP surgery re-opened, should have been the first to be informed, not the last.
Douglas added that there must be an urgent explanation from Moray Coast Medical Practice to confirm whether the practice has been sold and further information provided to campaigners and local people.
He has also called on SNP health secretary Michael Matheson to outline how local GP surgeries will be protected in Moray going forward given this “devastating” loss of the Hopeman surgery.
Moray MP Douglas Ross said: “This sleekit decision to apparently sell-off the GP surgery in Hopeman is utterly outrageous. I share the fury from local campaigners about suddenly seeing construction works and fencing around the village surgery.
“Local residents have been fighting tirelessly to re-open their surgery, yet they have now had the rug pulled from under them. This is a total slap in the face for them and is a decision that shows Moray Coast Medical Practice were clearly never interested in their campaign.
“Those campaigners should have been the first to be informed if the surgery was going to be sold off, not the last. Keeping them in the dark is simply disgraceful.
“Moray Coast Medical Practice cannot hide from this, given demolition signs are up at the building. They must give an urgent explanation and confirm whether the surgery has been sold and when this occurred and what it means for the future – if there is any – of GP services in Hopeman.
“I also urge SNP health secretary Michael Matheson to outline how rural and remote constituents like mine in Moray will still be able to access GP services, when they won’t be able to do on their own doorstep now.
“This is a wholly unacceptable situation and I will continue to work alongside local campaigners to ensure the whole truth emerges about it.
"It seems the promises for better communication with the community were completely false and the local practice, IJB and Scottish Government need to explain why they have ignored local communities and withheld crucial information from them."
