THERE is no guarantee that out-of-hours GP services will be reinstated at Queen Margaret Hospital after a three-month suspension.

Fife’s health and social care chief told worried West Fifers that there needed to be safe staffing levels back in place when they review the contingency plan in July.

Speaking at a public meeting in Dunfermline on Monday night, Michael Kellet explained the extent of the problems in recruiting GPs and said there was “no quick solution” to a situation that has become increasingly fragile across Fife as well as the nation.

Overnight out-of-hours services in Dunfermline stopped in April for three months due to staff shortages, and with echoes of the bitter fight against Right for Fife and the downgrading of the QMH in 2002, there are concerns that more departments will move to Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy.

Mr Kellet had been invited to address concerns from the public on the measures by Labour MSP Alex Rowley and SNP MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville.

West Fifers were assured that there would be no further cuts to services provided at the Queen Margaret with fears the move was just the thin end of the wedge.

Mr Kellet made the promise after claims from West Fifers at the meeting that the local health service was in “chaos” and its management were “incompetent”.

The meeting heard that emergency decision had been taken on clear clinical advice as the only way of ensuring patient safety and was not motivated by financial pressures.

However, there was no doubt that West Fifers have a frayed relationship with those in charge of running health services in Fife over recent years and felt their voices were unheard.

A former nurse said: “It represents a diminution of services and it’s not right.”

Ms Somerville added trust in the health service had already been broken and that the board needed to do some convincing that services were not dwindling.

It was explained that only 68 of the 150 GPs contracted regularly cover the overnight services and areas outside Fife were also experiencing similar circumstances.

There had also been also been challenges covering nursing rotas, the meeting was told.

Mr Kellet confirmed that they had been dealing with staffing shortages for some time but this only drew criticism from those in the audience and politicians saying that this was the result of shocking workforce planning.

The meeting heard that the Partnership was working hard to recruit more doctors but it was likely that GPs couldn’t cope with extra working hours.

Under the impression that things were not going to change overnight, Green MSP Mark Ruskell called for a new model for out-of-hours services in Fife, with paramedics, nurses and other health professionals helping to fill the gap.

Ms Somerville urged the Partnership to reconsider its policy on refusing to give reimbursements to people who had to pay up to £40 to see a doctor in Kirkcaldy.

She said the cost was “simply not affordable”.

However, Mr Kellet said that there were measures in place to safeguard people who didn’t have any way of getting to Kirkcaldy.

Ms Somerville said politicians from all parties would be campaigning for services to resume at the Queen Margaret.

She added: “There are people across the region who are suffering, and we need people to get involved to make sure these services are retained.”

Mr Kellet repeated throughout the meeting: “We are working hard to put these services back in place.”