'Devastating news': Plans revealed to close Renfrewshire GP surgery
It comes after The New Surgery, which has branches in Kilmacolm and Langbank, requested to close the Renfrewshire-based service.
The surgery recently sent a letter to patients, advising them that it had reached the "hard decision" to close the branch.
Councillor James MacLaren has slammed the plans, insisting the move is a "hammer blow" to local patients.
The Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank representative also called the consultation on the proposal a mere "tick-box exercise".
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He said: "The planned closure of the local GP surgery is devastating news for the people of Langbank.
"It is a real hammer blow for villagers and is another shocking example of how they are continuing to lose access to vital local services on their own doorstep.
"While the surgery has put this out to consultation, I fear this will be a mere tick-box exercise and the decision has already been made.
"After already operating under reduced hours, the savage cuts from the SNP government in Edinburgh to primary care budgets are having a huge effect on local GP provision in places like Langbank.
"I strongly oppose any plans to close Langbank's surgery permanently and would encourage everyone living locally to make their voices heard in the consultation.
"They should not be ignored and I hope that this decision will be reversed.'
A spokesperson for Inverclyde HSCP said: "We note the request by The New Surgery to close the Langbank branch surgery.
"This request has led to a consultation process with patients and other interested parties.
"The consultation will end on July 25 after which a decision will be made by Inverclyde HSCP."
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Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
Heartbreaking images of Gaza kids on brink of death can no longer be ignored
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And as yet more horrific images of emaciated children on the brink of death emerge, the call for action to end the suffering of Palestinians in the face of relentless Israeli attacks and blockades grows. In one haunting image, Muhammed Zakariya Ayyub al-Matouk – a tragic sight of skin and bones – clings to his desperate mum in a tent in Gaza City where there is no access to milk, food, or basic necessities. The one-and-a-half-year-old is just one of an estimated 70,000 children said by medics to be in a state of starvation – and up to 28 are believed to be dying every day. Gaza's hospitals yesterday reported nine more deaths from hunger in 24 hours, bringing the total to 122 since the war started. In another harrowing picture, Yezen Abu Ful, two, lies helpless at the Al-Shati Refugee Camp, waiting for food many know may never come until it is too late. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the world not to ignore the crisis. He said: 'I cannot explain the level of indifference and inaction we see by too many in the international community. The lack of compassion, the lack of truth, the lack of humanity.' Gaza-based journalist Noor al-Shana told how desperate Palestinians are 'tired of empty expressions of solidarity' – as the death toll in the strip hit 59,587. She said: 'We don't want just words, we want actions. There are thousands of children dying now and no one is doing anything. The world is saying 'Free Palestine'. We don't want words, we want solutions.' World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Israel 's actions in Gaza were causing 'man-made mass starvation'. Parents are going without food themselves for days in a bid to save their stricken children. Unicef and other agencies warned Gaza will run out of the therapeutic food needed to save the lives of severely malnourished children by mid-August unless aid is restored. 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Charities have demanded Israel allow the UN to distribute aid, which they said is sitting outside Gaza. They called for the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which is responsible for what little aid is getting through, to be shut down amid deaths at food queues. GHF insists those tragedies never happened at its site and the Israeli military said troops have not fired on civilians. Ceasefire talks appear to have stalled amid differing demands from Israel and Hamas, which sparked the war with its October 7 attack that killed 1, 200 people. The group also kidnapped 251, some of whom are still in captivity.
The Guardian
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AI-backed medical debt company claims payment plans can help US healthcare costs
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The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
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One suffered from diabetes, the other from a heart condition, but they showed severe deficiencies of nutrients, gastric arrest and anemia from malnutrition. Many of the adults who have died had some preexisting condition, like diabetes or heart or kidney trouble, worsened by malnutrition, Abu Selmia said. 'These diseases don't kill if they have food and medicine,' he said. Deaths come after months of Israeli siege Israel cut off the entry of food, medicine, fuel and other supplies completely to Gaza for two and a half months starting in March, saying it aimed to pressure Hamas to release hostages. During that time, food largely ran out for aid groups and in marketplaces and experts warned Gaza was headed for an outright famine. In late May, Israel slightly eased the blockade. Since then, it has allowed in around 4,500 trucks for the UN and other aid groups to distribute, including 2,500 tonnes of baby food and high-calorie special food for children, the Israeli foreign ministry claimed on Wednesday. That is an average of 69 trucks a day, far below the 500-600 trucks a day the UN says are needed. The UN has been unable to distribute much of the aid because hungry crowds and gangs take most of it from its trucks. Separately, Israel has also backed the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which opened four centers distributing boxes of food supplies. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed trying to reach the sites. On Tuesday, David Mencer, spokesman for the Israeli prime minister's office, denied there was a 'famine created by Israel' in Gaza and blamed Hamas for creating 'man-made shortages' by looting aid trucks. The UN denies Hamas siphons off significant quantities of aid. Humanitarian workers say Israel just needs to allow aid to flow in freely, saying looting stops whenever aid enters in large quantities.
