Yahoo News South Scotland MSP claims it's "no-brainer" to reopen Dumfries and Galloway community hospitals
An options appraisal has seen the creation of community health hubs emerge as the preferred options for the future of both Moffat and Thornhill Hospitals.
Neither have accepted any in-patients since Covid, with only vaccination and some out-patient clinics maintained.
However, South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth said this week that reopening them to in-patients should be “a no-brainer” considering the “care crisis in our region”.
Calling on the public to take the online survey and attend the consultations, he said: “The consultation contains six different options for the hospitals, ranging from re-establishing in-patient services to complete closure.
“However, past consultations and reports have shown that people want these community hospitals to be used as step down facilities for those leaving the acute hospital but aren’t ready to go home and to deliver the maximum number of services within their communities. It’s a no brainer that’s what they should be used for.
“The time for talking is over and I hope we will soon see the views of the public acted upon by the health and social care partnership.”
Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership is considering what the future holds for the two hospital sites – as well as community hospitals in Kirkcudbright and Newton Stewart – and is sharing the results of a non-financial options appraisal process involving people who access the service, people who deliver the service and people who manage the service.
This has resulted in options – ranked in order after being scored against five criteria: strategic fit, sustainability, safety, utility, and timeframe – for each hospital with the public now being asked to take part in a questionnaire, giving their views on each of the options put forward.
It can be accessed at https://dghscp.co.uk/rcrp-consultation/ with the consultation outcomes brought to Dumfries and Galloway Integration Joint Board, who will make any decisions on their future roles in September.
There will also be public consultation drop-in sessions, which, for Dumfriesshire are:
Monday (May 27), The Bridge, Dumfries, 3-7pm;
Thursday (May 30), Moffat Town Hall, 3-7pm;
June 10, Buccleuch Centre, Langholm, 3-7pm;
June 11, Lockerbie Town Hall, 3.30-7.30pm;
June 12, Thornhill Community Centre, 3-7pm;
June 17, Richard Greenhow Centre, Gretna, 3-7pm;
June 24, Victoria Hall, Annan, 3.30-7.30pm;
June 27, Sanquhar Community Centre. 3-7pm
July 24, online session 3-4pm and;
July 29, online session, 2-3pm.
The current favoured option for Moffat Community Hospital is for it to become a community health and social care hub.
The other options in ranking order are the status quo with no services changed to those currently offered; status quo plus; an inpatient facility, community ownership, and to close the site.
Currently it is home to the Mid and Upper Annandale home team, which includes nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, public health improvement, and social work. It also has GP consulting rooms as a split site overflow from Moffat GP practice.
The hospital is also used as a centre for routine vaccinations for illnesses such as Covid-19 and flu, and provides space to be used as a hot desk clinic by visiting specialists who provide regular outpatient clinics.
The results from the appraisal for Thornhill Community Hospital is also for it to become a community health and social care hub.
The others options, ranked in order, are the status quo plus, status quo, an inpatient facility, community ownership, and to close the site.
It also accommodates the Mid and Upper Nithsdale home team and is used as a centre for routine vaccinations for illnesses, with space to be used as a hot desk clinic by visiting specialists who provide regular outpatient clinics such as mental health and community link.
