NHS Jobs Move South to Dumfries

9th November 2004

The National Health Service Central Register (NHSCR) is to relocate to Dumfries, bringing 17 jobs to the town by spring 2005.

The NHSCR is a key list of all NHS patients in Scotland, kept by the Registrar General of Scotland, and is currently located in Edinburgh.

The Registrar General carried out a review as part of the Executive's policy of creating public sector job opportunities across the country and Dumfries was selected because of the suitability of a former hospital building on Crichton Campus with close links to other NHS units and flexibility for future changes in the size of the NHSCR.

Deputy Public Service Reform Minister Tavish Scott said:

"This is good news for Dumfries - it is no panacea, but these 17 jobs will make an important contribution to local communities and businesses.

"The NHSCR is a small but high-powered unit which is vital to the smooth running of the NHS in Scotland.

"It plays an important role in the work of the General Register Office for Scotland and the Executive has worked closely with our local partners, including the Council and the local enterprise company to bring these jobs to Dumfries.

"The Executive is committed to dispersing public sector jobs across Scotland. We want to see all areas of Scotland benefit and to ensure that we evenly spread the advantages of devolution and give a boost to areas that need it."

Notes to News Editors

1. The core function of the NHSCR is to maintain a register of all patients who are on the list of GPs in Scotland, and to supply to NHS Boards, and to approved medical researchers, information held on the register.

2. The current NHSCR staff, and their trade union (Public and Commercial Services Union), have been consulted during the review.

3. Staff will be given the option to move with the work to Dumfries, or to move to other work in the General Register Office for Scotland or the Executive in Edinburgh.

4. A fundamental review of the work of the NHSCR was carried out in the latter half of 2003 under the leadership of the Executive's Deputy Chief Medical Officer.