Defeated Brechin campaigners say the town has been ‘taken for fools’ over the case put forward by NHS Tayside for bulldozing the old infirmary.
This week, Angus planners gave NHS Tayside the go ahead to demolish the hospital, which closed in 2015.
Draft plans show it could be the site for more than 40 new homes.
The health authority says the adjacent health centre has room for thousands more patients.
But retired town GP Hamish Greig says that claim ignores the fact there are only two GPs at the centre.
Community group’s hopes sunk
Hamish was a doctor at the health centre for more than 20 years.
And his expertise was invaluable to Brechin Healthcare Group who forged the plan to transform the old infirmary into a community health and wellbeing hub.
But their hopes were defeated when NHS Tayside rejected a community asset transfer bid.
And an appeal to Scottish Ministers was also rejected.
Hamish said: “I was horrified the extra information provided by NHS Tayside to the Angus planning application for the development of the infirmary site has been accepted without a critical eye and at face value.”
The board’s surveyors said the health centre has capacity for 3,900 additional patients based on the health centre’s floor area.
“If there are two GPs, which appears to be the maximum not the norm, then 3,900 is more than they would normally be expected to cope with, never mind the patients already registered.
“The figures are based on theory.”
And he has raised concerns over the indication it could accommodate 44 houses after initial plans showed only 25.
“The board says the health centre does not need the land for expansion.
“But they said in our appeal they needed land to expand the car park and the reporter to the appeal made us agree to allow that.
“One cannot but feel that NHS Tayside are making fools of us all.
“They say one thing when it suits them but then say another in other circumstances.”
No premises on horizon
He fears the planning approval signals the end of any community partnership aspirations.
“We don’t oppose the health board, we wanted to work with them on the health and wellbeing of the community,” said Hamish.
“But we are struggling to find a way forward because we don’t have premises to do the things we wanted to do.
“It is difficult to get traction again and it has taken the wind out of our sails completely.”
Fellow BHG member Dick Robertson added: “I don’t doubt the capacity may be available but at present they cannot cope with the patients they have because the staffing levels are just not available.
“How could they handle a further 3,900 patients?
“NHS Tayside are still not coming clean with all of the details.”
Board response
A spokesperson for NHS Tayside said: “Brechin Infirmary has been closed for more than seven years since October 2015.
“The site was then formally declared surplus to requirements by Tayside NHS Board in February 2018.
“This decision was taken because Angus Integration Joint Board (IJB), as the lead partner for strategic planning for community and primary care services, had no requirement to retain this site for the future provision of healthcare services in Angus.
“The status of the site has not changed since then.
“Although Angus IJB has no current plans to expand community or primary care services in Brechin, there is space within the footprint of Brechin Health Centre to accommodate additional patients or services.
“There is no longer a requirement to retain part of the infirmary site for car parking for Brechin Health Centre.”
