The Inverclyde Council

Thursday 9 January 2003 at 4.00 pm

Present: Provost Roach, Councillors Calvert, Campbell, Hill, Hunter, McCabe, McCormick, McGhee, McGraw, Mitchell, Morrison (D), Morrison (M), Nimmo, O'Rourke, Rebecchi and White.

Chair:  Provost Roach presided.

In attendance:  Chief Executive, Depute Chief Executive, Director of Community & Protective Services, Director of Education Services, Director of Finance, Director of Legal & Support Services, Director of Social Work & Housing Services and Managing Solicitor (Committees/Contracts).

Apologies:  Councillors Jackson and Robertson (Y).

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Maternity Services Review - Presentation by NHS Argyll & Clyde

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The Council heard a presentation by Mr N Campbell, Chief Executive of Argyll & Clyde NHS Board, Dr L Wilkie, Director of Public Health and Mr P Ballantyne, Assistant Director - Community Involvement, accompanied by Dr C MacDonald, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, Dr R Brown, Medical Director Argyll & Clyde Acute Trust, Mr J Bretherton, Service Manager, Children & Maternity Inverclyde Royal Hospital and Ms A Thompson, Project Manager for Maternity Services, on the review of the maternity services being carried out by NHS Argyll & Clyde and the consultation process to be undertaken, with particular regard to the services provided at Inverclyde Royal Hospital.  The representatives answered a number of questions raised by Members after which they were thanked for their attendance and departed from the meeting.

The Chief Executive asked the Council at this stage to state a view on the proposals and outlined some proposals that he thought might be put to the Review Group to facilitate the retention of a Specialist Consultant at Inverclyde Royal Hospital.

Decided:  that it be agreed to support the retention of a consultant-led maternity unit at Inverclyde Royal Hospital as part of the essential range of services required for Inverclyde and that it be remitted to the Chief Executive to write to Argyll & Clyde NHS Board setting out the Council's views together with the suggested proposals outlined by him to the meeting.