Iain Gray hits out at Nicola Sturgeon over closure of MS respite centre

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon has been accused of showing a lack of interest in plans to close Scotland’s only respite care centre for multiple sclerosis (MS) sufferers.

Leuchie House, near North Berwick, is due to close within the next five months unless a new service provider can be found to take it over from the MS Society.

Labour leader Iain Gray is backing local efforts to save the facility, however, on Friday he his out accusing Ms Sturgeon of snubbing the campaign.

The East Lothian MSP said he had asked the Health Secretary for a meeting to discuss ways of saving the facility but that his invite was refused.

He said: “I am very disappointed that the Health Secretary is not prepared to engage with me or any of the campaigners to keep Leuchie House open.”

The Labour leader said Ms Sturgeon saw the work carried out at Leuchie House when she visited it in October 2008.

He said: “I realise that Leuchie House is not an NHS service, but it saves the NHS a great deal of money and it would have been very helpful for the Cabinet Secretary to add her weight to the campaign to keep it open.”

Officials from the group announced it will close its residential centres following a year-long respite care review which showed overwhelming support for greater choice and holiday-style breaks.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “The MS Society is best placed to understand the respite care needs of people with the condition and the decision about the future of Leuchie House is a matter entirely for them.

“The Scottish Government recognises the valuable contribution of the MS Society in caring for and supporting people with MS in Scotland, and the importance of respite care for people living with progressive conditions and their families.

“These services need to be provided in a way that best meets people’s needs and circumstances, and that is what the MS Society’s review of respite care sought to identify.

“The Government is encouraging the uptake of self-directed support as a means to allowing people with conditions such as MS to personalise their social care in a way that is flexible and responsive to their needs, and the needs of their families and carers.”

An MS Society spokeswoman said that 1,385 people stayed at their four centres throughout the UK in the 12 months to 2009.

She said: “We are now developing a strategy aimed at giving equal access to respite care to the 100,000 people with MS across the UK.

“We will focus on providing information, accrediting other services, giving grants, campaigning and influencing other providers.

“Guests at Leuchie House will be contacted individually and offered full support in finding alternate respite care and short break services.”