I ATTENDED the public engagement session about NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde’s (NHS GGC) GP out of hours (GPOOH) service last Wednesday at Broomhill Community Gardens.

During the presentation, it was highlighted that the service manages, on average, 15,000 appointments each month – around five per cent of which come from people in Inverclyde, which is in line with our population size.

It was also mentioned that the patient transport that is available to anyone who doesn’t have access to a car or public transport is unique to NHS GGC’s GPOOH service (there are 14 GPOOH services across Scotland).

The proposal is to have a limited service at the IRH over the weekends and also for public holidays. What I think is a reasonable ask however is for an extension of the existing hours in operation at the IRH.

The next public engagement meetings will be at the Coppermine Community Centre on 7 November between 3-5pm and Boglestone Community Centre on 14 November between 5-7pm.

I’d encourage as many people as possible to go along and to respond to the online consultation on NHSGGC’s website.

Finally, I wanted to highlight how party politics has played out since the First Minister announced a council tax freeze.

In March this year, Sir Keir Starmer, Labour’s leader, said: "A Labour government would freeze your council tax this year - that's our choice. A tax cut for the many, not just for the top one per cent.”

Labour’s literature during the Rutherglen and Hamilton by election also criticised the SNP for proposing to raise council tax.

Yet when we the SNP propose the opposite, they criticise this! Yet another flip-flop from a party that puts politics before policy.