St John’s Hospital

That the Parliament recognises the deep disappointment of West Lothian parents resulting from the children’s ward at St John’s Hospital, Livingston not returning to a full 24/7 inpatient service in October 2019 as planned; notes that while the children’s ward continues to be open to overnight admissions from Monday to Thursday, it appreciates nonetheless that travelling to Edinburgh with sick children who require inpatient care at the weekend causes additional worry and distress particularly for families with children with ongoing or long-term conditions who would benefit from the continuity of local inpatient care; welcomes the Scottish Government's absolute commitment to return to a 24/7 service; seeks more information about when and how the Paediatric Programme Board will deliver on the commitment that NHS Lothian also made to patients, and calls for more visible leadership on the return of St John's children ward to a 24/7 service and for more children’s services to be delivered locally in West Lothian, recognising that the children’s ward and St John’s Hospital are not just assets to West Lothian but to the whole health board area.