South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth has said the proposals contained in the Right Care, Right Place report from Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care partnership are “a missed opportunity”.

The findings of the report are due to be presented on Wednesday this week to the Integrated Joint Board following a long consultation into the future of Dumfries and Galloway’s cottage hospitals.

The report states that the region has nine cottage hospitals, four of which are currently closed- with no immediate plans to re-open them.

Colin Smyth said: “At a time we face a care crisis in our region, with delayed discharge at epidemic levels, these proposals are a huge missed opportunity and nothing more than tinkering at the edges.

“They will do little to tackle a social care system in our region that is broken and the report just kicks the future of our community hospitals into the long grass.

“It seems that when the health and social care partnership has no new ideas they just have more reviews and there are plans for plenty in this report without any timescales.

“The public made clear they see a role for our currently closed community hospitals to be used as step down facilities for those leaving the acute hospital but aren’t ready to go home, however those views have largely been ignored.

“The crisis in care is now, and for many it will be far too late when the health and social care partnership stop reviewing and start acting with more urgency.”