THE removal of a vital health service from High Valleyfield is the latest development showing that West Fife villages are being “neglected” by the NHS.

That’s the view of Valleyfield Community Council chairperson Carolyn Gray after news that the mobile mammogram service has now been relocated away from the village.

She now fears that a two-bus journey there – and again on the return trip – will result in women opting not to turn up for their routine checks.

“When it was at High Valleyfield, it got a 99 per cent turn out.

“Now with four buses, I don’t think people will go. It is a neglect for West Fife villages,” she said.

“They treat High Valleyfield like it is an unknown village.

“They did exactly the same with jags for Covid. People were having to go on two buses with cancer or other serious illnesses.

“We have already had problems with the surgery with no doctors covering the surgery.

“People now have to go to Duloch in Dunfermline, which is hard to get to, or Asda Halbeath so it is two buses for either.

“The bus fares have all gone up again here and not everyone has a bus pass.”

Local councillor Graeme Downie described the news as “disappointing”.

He said: “It feels to the community that this is another thing for them to lose.

“It is two buses to get now for a mammogram scan which can often be quite worrying.

“It is an hour there and an hour back. How many women are not going to go? It is dangerous.

“You have a community already being poorly served by a GP surgery who have lost confidence and faith and they are told something else is being taken away.”

Cllr Downie said the withdrawal of the service would “further harm confidence” in the health service being provided in West Fife villages and other rural areas.

“They do feel a bit forgotten about and a bit dismissed,” he added.

“You have got people feeling they have not been given the service they should be.”

Janet Clarke, director of Breast Screening South-East Scotland, said: “The Southeast Scotland Breast Screening Service operates several mobile screening units and provides high quality care for patients throughout the southeast of Scotland area.

“The services mobile units have recently been upgraded and require larger physical space as well as access to electricity and wireless connectivity for image transfer, client records, and clinic appointment lists.

“As part of the breast screening programme in Fife, NHS Fife’s Public Health Service has been working with the Southeast Scotland Breast Screening Service to identify locations across the Kingdom to accommodate the upgraded mobile units.

“Unfortunately, no suitable sites have been identified in Kelty or High Valleyfield that meet the specific mobile screening unit requirements, with eligible women in these communities instead being invited to attend the mobile screening unit located in Halbeath.

“The Halbeath mobile screening unit location provides suitable space, ample free parking, and public transport links along with good wireless connectivity, and appropriate facilities for staff and patients.

“This new site will also be offering weekend screening in the Autumn to give a wider range of times women can attend for this vital screening service.

“Attendance will also be closely monitored to ensure that women who are eligible for screening continue to be able to access their appointments.”