A flagship emergency unit may never come to Dundee after the Health Secretary admitted she will defer to medical experts about its “sustainability”.
Shona Robison said the building of four specialist trauma centres in Scotland’s largest cities, including Ninewells Hospital, was being reviewed because of conflicting advice from top doctors.
Although she insisted the quartet may all be completed, the SNP was accused of a “humiliating climb-down” from a high profile pledge announced in 2014.
Dundee City East MSP Ms Robison said: “I’ve not come to any conclusions yet. I’ve asked for more work to be done to get it right because we need to get it right for the next 10, 15, 20, 25 years.
“I’m going to take the time to make sure I take the best advice and get that right.”
Pressed on whether or not a centre will still come to Dundee she said: “Originally we were looking at four centres – and that is still a possibility but the evidence given to me suggested there could be a range of options. I want to organise them on the best way possible and absolutely, we could still end up with four centres but I want to know that it is a sustainable way forward and that we have agreement among the clinical community about that.”
The centres were earmarked to be operational this year to treat people with serious injuries, such as those who have been in a serious car accident, or who experience severe head injuries.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: “It looks like the SNP are in the process of a humiliating climb-down, with people in Dundee none the wiser over when any new trauma centre will open, or even if work will begin at all.”
Conservative north east MSP Alex Johnstone added: “Once again, we see a Scottish Government concentrate on central belt bias while the north east is left lagging behind.”
Labour’s public services spokesman, Dr Richard Simpson, said: “Why on earth did they not do due diligence before making the promise to open four centres?”
Ms Robison made the comments as she unveiled a blueprint for health and social care for the next 10 to 15 years during a visit to The Crescent centre in Whitfield.
The National Clinical Strategy takes into account Scotland’s ageing population, the integration of health and social care services, and rapid advances in research and technology.
It calls for as much care as possible to be delivered locally, with people treated close to home, or even in their own homes.
More complex treatments may be delivered by specialist centres, with follow-up treatment available locally.