MSPs urged to support nursery fight

Jan 29 2009 by Shirley Bartynek, Hamilton Advertiser

THE Royal College of Nursing Scotland this week urged MSPs to join them in a campaign to save an on-site nursery at the Hamilton campus of the UWS.

The trade union who represents nursing students, registered nurses and healthcare support workers asked MSPs to sign up to a parliamentary motion calling on the university to reconsider their decision.

Bosses at the UWS last Tuesday agreed to shut the nursery as part of a review of their services.

The decision is expected to be rubber-stamped at a further meeting of the University Court on February 3.

About 80 children attend the nursery in Hamilton and up to 20 staff face losing their jobs.

However, Jim Clark, RCN Scotland board member and a nursing student, said that many nursing students rely on child care facilities as they are older and have family commitments.

He said: “I know how valuable the nursery provision is for people on my course and this ill-thought-out decision may well impact on the ability of my colleagues to complete the course.

“As such, I call on Lanarkshire MSPs to show their support for University of the West of Scotland students who require nursery provision for their children by signing the parliamentary motion.”

Hamilton South MSP Tom McCabe this week said he had received assurances from the university “that not one penny less would be spent on child care”.

He added: “My utmost concern is that the students who attend the University of the West of Scotland have access to adequate childcare so that they can get on with their studies. It will be for the university to ensure that if there is any change, there are proper arrangements for the transition and that every possible assistance is given to existing staff."

A spokesman for the UWS told the Advertiser last week: “There is no plan to withdraw support for childcare. All options under the university's childcare review include retaining support, either financially or through the provision of daytime nurseries.

“The option under consideration is replacement of the existing daytime nurseries with a funding scheme which would make childcare support available to many more students across all campuses. It’s not withdrawal of support but a different way of providing it.”