Councillors and politicians join forces in bid to put pressure on Fife Health and Social Care Partnership board

The board took the controversial decision to shut the day centre for the elderly but that’s not been accepted by local residents and councillors who said they’ll fight to keep it open.

The centre is set to close next month but in a rare show of unity, all three Rosyth councillors and politicians from different parties have come together to add their voices to the protest.

They’re also asking MSPs who back their cause to raise the issue in the Scottish Parliament.

Councillors Tony Orton (Conservative), Sam Steele (SNP) and Andrew Verrecchia (Labour) will be at a street stall outside the Palace Cafe on Queensferry Road from 11am-1pm every Saturday for the next four weeks.

They’ll also have a table at the Rosyth Community Market on Sunday, October 29.

Although more than 2,000 people signed a petition to halt the closure, they will be encouraging residents to send individual letters with hopes for more impact.

Cllr Orton said: “The Fife Health and Social Care Partnership are looking at this as a budgeting issue but we’re looking at this as a human issue.

“This decision needs to be halted because there is a flaw in their consultation process. We’re not asking for them to completely stop the closure but to withdraw the decision until a robust consultation with the Rosyth community has taken place.”

The decision to close was condemned in the wake of reports that the elderly population in Fife is growing fast and a consultation process that was criticised for failing to include the people that use the centre. Cllr Steele added: “The partnership are still saying that an adequate consultation took place. They also say that focus groups took place in Rosyth but I am yet to meet one person that was involved in that.

“It’s very frustrating – they’ve already told me that Rosyth Resource Centre is not on the agenda for the partnership’s Integration joint board (IJB) November meeting and that we won’t be speaking about it either.”

The IJB are independent of the council and ultimately accountable to the Scottish Government.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Fife Health and Social Care Partnership is a statutory public body that works in close partnership with Fife Council and NHS Fife. We would expect full consultation with local communities affected by any proposed redesign or service change.”

A spokesperson for the IJB said: “The decision to redesign day care services in Rosyth was upheld following discussion and voting on a motion by members of Fife Health and Social Care Partnership board on September 14.

“Cllr Sam Steele raised a motion to suspend the board’s standing orders, a process required before the redesign process could be halted.

“This requires the support of 11 of the 16 voting members of the board, which include representation from the voluntary and independent service sector and NHS Fife and Fife Council. “When put to the vote, it was voted 10 to 4 against the motion, meaning the original decision taken by the board on July 27 stands.”