Glasgow shake-up sorted at last

Greater Glasgow is this week celebrating the conclusion of an acute services review that has lasted for more than 10 years.

Backed by£700m of investment, two hospitals - Stobhill and the Victoria Infirmary - will close, replaced by ambulatory care centres. The Western Infirmary will close (a move agreed earlier) and accident and emergency units will probably be cut from five to two.

Acute inpatient services will be based at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Gartnavel General and a new hospital for the south, either on a new site or at the existing Southern General.

The board agreed a mediumsecure unit for mentally disordered offenders should be sited at Stobhill. The decisions met criticism from campaigners for particular interests but the overall feeling was one of relief.

Institute of Healthcare Management Scottish secretary Donald McNeill said. 'It would be fair to say that managers are buoyant.

There has been a lot of frustration about for the past 10 years and longer, because this process has held up change.'

NHS Greater Glasgow chair Professor David Hamblen said:

The review presents a solid foundation on which to build Glasgow's health service'.