THE linchpin of the campaign to secure more services for St John's Hospital is dying from cancer.
Ernie Walker, a former NHS chief executive and founder of the Stop the Downgrade campaign in West Lothian, revealed little about the disease, only to say that it was terminal and he was receiving chemotherapy from the cancer centre at the Western Gen
eral.
It could see the 65-year-old winding down his activities with the group, which also includes three elected members who sit on West Lothian Council.
He revealed his illness in a newsletter to members, in which he also launched one of his fiercest attacks yet on NHS Lothian.
"Many of you will know that I have cancer," he said. "I know the importance of being admitted to a high-quality local hospital. This is being denied to many of the most vulnerable people in Lothian due to (NHS Lothian] board policy."
When approached by the Evening News Mr Walker said he did not wish to go into too much depth about his illness.
He said: "I want to keep the details personal, all I can say is it is terminal. I'm on chemotherapy. Word was going to get out about it eventually so I thought it best to say something."
A former chief executive of Croydon's NHS Mayday Hospital in Surrey, Mr Walker was elected chairman of the campaign in November 2004.
He helped get three councillors – John Cochrane, Ellen Glass and Gordon Beurskens – voted in during the 2007 local elections on a ticket of fighting for the retention and addition of services at the Livingston hospital.
Since then the health board has made several pledges of investment to the hospital, but relations between health chiefs and the group are at an all-time low after the collapse of scheduled meetings between them, and allegations made to the Standards Commission about NHS Lothian chairman Dr Charles Winstanley.
In his latest newsletter Mr Walker slammed the health board for placing too much emphasis on targets and its stance on bullying. He also quipped that St John's was viewed by NHS Lothian as so unimportant it could become "the Lothians centre for ingrown toenails".
He wrote: "Targets are a good thing. The NHS used to work towards them, but not at the cost of good patient care.
"There is a culture of bullying and intimidation in the NHS. Telling the truth gets you sacked. Staff are too frightened and demoralised to speak out. NHS Lothian board is no longer fit for purpose."
A statement printed on the Stop the Downgrade website read: "The chairman of the Stop the Downgrade campaign continues his fight against progressive illness after a recent hospital stay.
"Ernie Walker, a former health board chief executive with a wealth of experience, has been an inspiration to campaigners in West Lothian, and wider afield.
"He has been involved in the fight for improved service from St John's Hospital for many years.
"On behalf of the campaign, our supporters, colleagues and friends who have expressed their concern for his welfare, we would like to send this message of continued support to Ernie and (wife] Joyce."
• www.nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk• www.stopthedowngrade.org