Hospital bed move branded 'ludicrous'

A "LUDICROUS" decision made without any consultation could threaten the health of vulnerable patients in Ross-shire during a winter of discontent, it was claimed yesterday.

In a bid to ease acute winter pressures on its services, NHS Highland has commandeered five of 10 beds in a specialist Dingwall unit catering for rheumatology patients.

The plans affecting the Highland Rheumatology Unit (HRU) in Dingwall kicked in on Monday this week and will ruin for five months.

It's understood staff have been told festive holiday plans may be changed to cater for the winter cover.

Michelle Stevenson of the Friends of the HRU said that "once again" a decision had been taken without proper consultation.

She said mixing general ward and elderly patients and rheumatology patients with low immunity is "the most ludicrous decision they have ever made".

She said: "We are more susceptible to winter bugs and need a bed in the winter months."

She voiced disappointment that concerns raised with senior management had been ignored.

NHS Highland says the plans aim to support people who need health and social care over the winter.

The move will ease pressure on acute hospitals and increase capacity for severely ill people.

Five of the 10 rheumatology beds will be available to general community hospital patients along with the general ward of Ross Memorial Hospital in Dingwall following what it branded a successful pilot last year.

The remaining beds will continue to be used to support rheumatology patients.

Head of community services for NHS Highland’s South and Mid Division, Georgia Haire, said: “An evaluation of last year’s use of five rheumatology beds for community hospital patients highlighted that the changes were well managed and the quality of care to all patients was maintained.

“We have learnt from the evaluation and are now establishing updated patient transfer criteria and have also rearranged clinical cover requirements to provide greater allied healthcare professional support to the service."

The 14 general use beds at Ross Memorial Hospital will remain in place until early spring 2019 "during a period when our acute hospital capacity is extremely challenging".

Under the plans, the Minor Injuries Unit at Ross Memorial Hospital will close during this period "to allow us to safely maintain the increased number of medical beds in the general ward".

An MIU is available at the County Community Hospital in Invergordon from 9am-5pm from Monday to Friday.

Mrs Haire insisted patient safety is "paramount".

Highlands and Islands MSP Rhoda Grant, who is the cross-party group in the Scottish Parliament on Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Conditions, told the North Star: "I am disappointed to hear that yet again communication with all the relevant stakeholders has not been good."

She has asked NHS Highland chief executive Elaine Meade to review the decision.

Mrs Grant has been told that while other community hospital beds are available, they don't have the required nursing staff to care for these patients.

She was also advised that an evaluation of last year's pilot using five beds saw staff coping "extremely well with the changes and the quality of care to all patients was maintained".

Mrs Grant said: "There was recognition that there was a reduction in the availability of specialist education provided to rheumatology inpatients but NHS Highland did increase allied health professionals such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy as well as rheumatology clinics to support patients."

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