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Cleft palate surgery limited to Central Belt |
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Friday, 28 September 2007 |
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon today announced that major surgical procedures for cleft lip and palate would only be carried out in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Sturgeon stated that this move would be in the best interests of
patients. "We believe this is the right way to achieve the best
possible outcomes for babies born with cleft lip and palate in Scotland.
"We are committed to delivering treatment and follow-up as close to
home as possible for patients and for travel to be kept to a minimum.
"Aberdeen is able to provide much of the essential treatment patients
need, but for certain highly specialised surgical operations, it is in
the patient's best interests to go to Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Outreach day case support will continue in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness, Glasgow and Dundee.
Consultant plastic surgeon Arthur Morris, who led the review and was
the first lead clinician of CleftSis – the National Managed Clinical
Network, said he welcomed the Cabinet Secretary's decision.
"The whole principle of setting up the Network was to ensure patients
come first, and the entire service is based around the patient."
Gareth Davies, of the family support group Cleft Lip and Palate
Association, said he believed the move would be in the best interests
of babies born with cleft lip and palate in Scotland.
"A recent survey showed a very high level of patient satisfaction with
cleft care, with no evidence that families are unwilling to travel to
access high quality care."
The surgical cleft lip and palate service in Scotland will be delivered
at the Yorkhill Hospital in Glasgow and the Royal Hospital for Sick
Children in Edinburgh. Around 140 primary surgical procedures are
carried out per year.
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