Health MinisteR Andy Kerr paid a visit to Kirkcaldy’s two hospitals yesterday where he attended the opening of a new stroke unit and met NHS workers.

He also attended a presentation on the recent improvements at Victoria Hospital.

He was welcomed by NHS Fife Board chairman Professor Jim McGoldrick and Fife NHS Trust chairman David Stewart.

Mr Stewart said, “Funding was awarded to Fife to create a new unit to help improve outcomes in Fife for stroke.

“To make this happen, a number of other initiatives took place.

“In total, £4.1m was received, £2.5m for stroke care and associated upgrading of various wards, and £1.6m for out-patients to modernise and upgrade this service.”

Mary Mair, medical directorate manager, said that creating the stroke ward had involved relocating and refurbishing other wards including the rehabilitation department.

“In addition the opportunity was taken to draw together certain specialties and to improve their facilities in the process,” she said.

Mr Kerr said he was delighted to open Fife’s first dedicated stroke unit.

“Stroke remains one of the three biggest killers, claiming 6500 lives last year, and destroying those of the people close to those struck down,” he said.

“This ward will help to reduce the number of Scots killed each year by this disease and help keep more families together for longer.

“We’ve invested over £4 million into Fife for this unit and other improvements, and an overall £40 million across Scotland to develop a national CHD/ stroke strategy.

“I am confident that developments such as this will keep up the momentum to improve Scotland’s health.”

As well as the work at Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy, Fife NHS has developed a small acute stroke unit of two four-bed bays within a ward at Queen Margaret Hospital and a rehabilitation ward has been reorganised to accommodated stroke patients.

Following his tour of Victoria, the minister visited the neo-natal unit at Forth Park Hospital where he was introduced to various doctors and nurses and clinical director Dr Tahir Mahmood.

Dr Mahmood explained to the minister that the paediatric service is integrated with obstetrics to provide patient focused care and that the unit has 20 cots, four intensive care cots, six for special care, and 10 for transitional care.

Professor McGoldrick later said, “While the stroke unit and out-patients and the visit to Forth Park Hospital are the focus of the minister’s visit, we must not lose sight of the very much bigger picture and extensive improvements achieved through this funding.”

Changes include a new suite for medical photography and clinical illustration.