Save Our Surgeries protest outside of Moray Council building as support grows ahead of Integration Joint Board (IJB) meeting
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THE campaign to save the doctors surgeries in Hopeman and Burghead has ramped up ahead of next month's Moray Integration Joint Board (MIJB) meeting – where a final decision on the future of the surgeries will be made.
Members of the Save Our Surgeries group protested outside the Moray Council building today (Thursday May 25), where members of the board were meeting.
The group were joined by members of the community from Hopeman and Burghead, who wanted to show board members their strength of feeling.
Alan and Alison Leith had travelled in from Hopeman to take part in the protest. The couple, who are 84 and 79 respectively, are very concerned by the plans to permanently remove doctors surgeries from the two coastal villages.
Alison said: "I think the whole thing is absolutely ridiculous – people in Hopeman and Burghead should be able to access a doctor.
"Like a lot of people I am not fit to do the journey to Lossie on the bus, it's not reasonable to expect the elderly, people with children and those who are working to spend hours travelling to see a doctor or nurse. Our local surgery was just along the road and easy to access – all we need is a nurse and a doctor to do blood tests, prescriptions and face-to-face appointments. We don't even need them every day, even other other day would be okay, is that really too much to ask?"
A spokesperson for the Save Our Surgeries group said: "The campaign is really ramping up ahead of next month's decision meeting, we have a lot more support than we had originally.
"Members are now willing to meet with us and we are cautiously optimistic that there will be a light at the end of the tunnel for us – it may mean compromise but hopefully we can find a better solution that will work for the coastal villages and the health board."
