§ Mr. Allen Adamsasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if the number of medical and nursing staff in the hospital service will be increased when the Argyll and Clyde health board opens its new general hospital in Paisley;
(2) if any additional medical services will be offered to the Argyll and Clyde health board when it opens its new general hospital in Paisley.
§ Mr. John MacKayThe new Royal Alexandra hospital will replace the existing acute hospital accommodation in and around Paisley. No additional specialties will be provided but the population will benefit from the replacement of old, unsatisfactory accommodation with a modern hospital complex providing a range of sophisticated and improved facilities. This will lead to higher levels of efficiency and standards of care. No increases in the numbers of medical staff are currently planned but there will be some increase in nurse staffing.
§ Mr. Allen Adamsasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) whether any auxiliary staff have been declared redundant in the Argyll and Clyde health board area in the last three months;
188W(2) what percentage of auxiliary hospital jobs will be lost when the Royal Alexandra infirmary closes, and facilities are centred at the new general hospital at Meiklebriggs in Paisley.
§ Mr. John MacKayNo auxiliary staff have been made redundant. There will be a reduction of 18.8 per cent. in the number of jobs in the ancillary services being centralised at the new Royal Alexandra hospital. The reductions will be achieved through natural wastage.