SIGNIFICANT work has already taken place to see four of Dumfries and Galloway’s cottage hospitals deliver a wider range of services in the heart of those communities.
On Tuesday, members of Dumfries and Galloway Integration Joint Board received a keenly-awaited report setting out the actions taken since the meeting in October when it agreed a plan for the sites in Moffat, Thornhill, Kirkcudbright and Newton Stewart.
Members heard that a lot of the work including the relocation of the GP practice in Moffat is well-advanced, and about plans for further stakeholder engagement around developing an even wider range of services.
IJB Chair Andy McFarlane said: “The decision on where to take these four sites was one of the biggest we have faced as a board, and it followed extensive engagement.
“Our members were extremely pleased to see that, five months on, a great deal of the work required to prepare these facilities for their role providing a wide range of services is already very advanced, and that no time has been lost in putting these plans into action.
“What came through very clearly in the engagement is that these communities wanted to see these facilities playing a vital role providing treatment and support to local people. It’s imperative that, very quickly, we see this promise delivered.”
The paper to the IJB noted that work preparing for the move by Moffat’s medical practice into the new community hub is almost complete – with the practice set to open there next month [APRIL].
The practice team will be joined on site by the Home Teams staff who co-ordinate delivery of treatment and care within communities, while the facility will also serve as the local base for vaccinations.
Work to accommodate the local Home Teams, and for them to serve as the local vaccination hubs, is complete at all four sites. And accommodation has been identified for the introduction of Virtual Clinic spaces which are able to bring a wider range of specialist services than was ever possible previously.
Meanwhile, in Newton Stewart, draft proposals have been completed for local delivery of IV Therapies and intravenous antibiotics through Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT).
These plans being spearheaded at Newton Stewart will go on to serve as the basis for similar services at the three other hubs.
IJB members were also told that scoping had been completed at Newton Stewart for provision of outpatient services to introduce Mental Health and Women and Children Services.
They were informed that continued involvement with stakeholders is set to take place as plans for wider range of services are taken forward at all four sites, with potential opportunities for the third sector to have a presence on site as a point of contact for people seeking support and advice on a wide range of issues.
Interim Chief Officer of Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership Nicole Hamlet said: “I’m very pleased that the IJB welcomed this report, and recognised that a great deal of work has taken place very quickly to prepare these sites to deliver a wide range of services.
“Reflecting that desire to see things continue to progress quickly, further reports are due at subsequent meetings, and we hope that very quickly all four sites will be extremely active and well-used, and that many people in these areas will be experiencing the benefits of these services.”
