4 NEWS
Funding for GPs is crucial in south of the city
By PHYLLIS STEPHENA CROWDFUNDER INIATIVE to pay for
legal fees in a dispute between Friends of Dalry
Cemetery and lodge house owner Phillipa
Berry is approaching £5,000 and any excess
funds will be used to support work undertaken
by the Friends group.
Jakob Assarsson (above far right) established
the Friends of Dalry Cemetery group during
lockdown to give everyone something to
do outdoors.
The group has tidied up areas of the
cemetery which is a through route for walkers
and runners with regular weekend litter picks
and other gardening work.
As a properly constituted Friends group they
are governed by rules agreed with The City of
Edinburgh Council which owns the cemetery.The group has encountered opposition from
the owner of the lodge house, Philippa Berry.
She has erected gates and put up outdoor
alarms with an external siren which sounds
loudly whenever anyone goes past.
Jakob claims this is distressing to those
visiting family graves, and explained that he is
being pursued by court action to prevent him
using the main entrance, doing work in the
vicinity of the main entrance or from recording
the siren.
Cllr Ross McKenzie, Independent Councillor
for Sighthill/Gorgie said: “Led by Jakob
Assarsson, Friends of Dalry Cemetery has
made a tremendous impact in recent years.
Thanks to their work, the Cemetery is
now a valued and improving green space in
our community.
“Please support them if you can.”Martin P McAdam
FREE GUIDED TOURS of the Forth Road
Bridge, hosted by Transport Scotland’s
operating company BEAR Scotland, are
fully booked and those lucky enough to
have nabbed a place will have a once-in-a-
lifetime chance on winning a tour to
the top of the Queensferry Crossing’s
main towers.
On Saturday 23 September as part of
Doors Open Days. The Forth Bridges
exhibition at Transport Scotland’s Contact
and Education Centre will be open to the
public from 9am until 5pm, featuring
special exhibits and educational activities.
Advance booking is not necessary for the
exhibition, or to take a walk across the
bridge and everyone who attends the
exhibition can enter a charity prize draw
for the tour.
Andy Thompson, BEAR Scotland’s
Operating Company Representative for SE
Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to be able
to welcome visitors back to the Forth Road
Bridge on Doors Open Day after the
success of last year’s event. We’re also
pleased to be raising money for a great
cause in Alzheimer Scotland.
“Our guided minibus tours will give the
public a rare chance to visit parts of this
famous bridge normally hidden from
view, and to hear from experienced
members of staff who have worked on the
structure for many years. The exhibition in
the Contact and Education Centre will be
open, so everyone is welcome to come
along and find out more about these
amazing bridges, whether or not you have
a place on a tour. Everyone who attends
will have the chance to enter the raffle to
experience the incredible view from the
top of the Queensferry Crossing – a real
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”Doors Open
Day 2023
Cemetery supporters dig deep to fundraise for court case defence
Grave deeds at Dalry
By OLIVIA THOMASLABOUR MP for Edinburgh
South Ian Murray has warned
that public services in the
area are under immense
pressure. He has called on the
SNP to reinstate the funding
promised for over-stretched
GP services in an area of the
city where tens of thousands
of new homes are being built.
Murray said the proposed
construction of new GP
services, including a newmedical practice for 10,
patients as part of the new
Liberton High School campus
and a new facility at
Gilmerton Gateway, has been
shelved because of a funding
freeze by The Scottish
Government.
In total, extra capacity for
20,000 patients in the area is
required according to medical
chiefs, while a recent survey
found that only four of the 14
practices in Edinburgh South
were taking on new patients.Local residents are
suffering long waits to see
GPs, with a knock-on effect
on A&E times at the Royal
Infirmary of Edinburgh.
SNP MSP Jenni Minto, the
Minister for Public Health and
Women’s Health, was due to
visit the Conan Doyle Medical
Centre in Liberton when Mr
Murray said she must use the
opportunity to reinstate
funding and apologise for the
chaos caused by the
government.He has written to the
minister to outline the
substantial local anger.
Ian Murray MP said: “After
funding for new services was
pulled by the Scottish
Government in February,
20,000 of my constituents
face a battle to access a GP.
“Not only does this damage
the mental and physical
health of my constituents, but
it also has a damaging and
costly effect on the NHS later
down the line.“The SNP has shamefully
neglected the needs of
people in the south of
Edinburgh, ignoring the city
council and NHS Lothian’s
attempts to increase
healthcare options.
“Rather than turning up for
a ministerial photograph in
the area, local residents
deserve an apology from the
minister and a commitment
to reverse the SNP’s decision
to freeze funding for vital
healthcare services.”Philippa BerryIan Murray MP