In my six and a half years as MSP for Eastwood, one of the most negative developments to take place locally is the diminution of postal services in particular parts of the constituency.
Eaglesham has been without a Post Office that can be accessed on a daily basis since services were withdrawn from the previous branch in September 2017.
Newton Mearns has also been badly impacted by the closure of the branches at the Broomburn Shops and The Avenue Shopping Centre in previous years.
Whilst Eaglesham remains without a permanent Post Office, it was nonetheless a positive step in the right direction that a mobile service was set up in the early part of this year outside the Premier Store on Glasgow Road albeit it’s presence is limited to one hour in the afternoon on a Wednesday.
I have recently been in contact with the Post Office to seek an update on where matters currently stand with trying to put in place a permanent and more expansive service in Eaglesham and also to establish new branches in Newton Mearns as replacements for the long-standing closures at the Broomburn Shops and The Avenue.
It has been confirmed that whilst the mobile service currently operating in Eaglesham is described as temporary, there is no intention to withdraw it.
The service is only classed as temporary because the objective remains to return to a situation where there is a full time Post Office locally.
I also specifically raised with the Post Office, the possibility of increasing the number of days and hours that the mobile branch is available and I have been advised that this is under active consideration with a decision expected soon.
It is important that the opportunities for residents in Eaglesham to access a local postal service are maximized and I hope that there will be some good news on this front in the near future.
Sadly, on Newton Mearns there are no positive developments to report.
There have been no new expressions of interest in establishing a local Post Office meaning that Harvie Avenue is set to remain the only functioning branch in Newton Mearns for the foreseeable future.
A much-needed increase in local Post Office provision in Newton Mearns is an issue that I will continue to highlight.
On a troubling note, many constituents have contacted me in recent weeks to report instances of elderly and vulnerable people queueing for hours and last-minute appointment cancellations at the Carmichael Hall vaccination centre where booster jabs are being carried out as part of the winter vaccination programme in Scotland.
The correspondence I have received points to some unacceptable experiences at the Giffnock vaccination centre and I am awaiting a full response from health officials on the concerning reports.
Covid vaccinations have been taking place in Scotland for almost two years now and problems such as people having to wait for hours before receiving the jab or the late cancellation of appointments for individuals scheduled to receive a booster dose really should not be happening.
Any serious issues that may be inhibiting the effectiveness of the vaccination centre at Carmichael Hall need to be resolved soon.