GRATEFUL thanks are being expressed to more than 1000 people who have responded to a consultation on the future role of four cottage hospitals.
Consultation on the hospitals in Moffat, Thornhill, Kirkcudbright and Newton Stewart came to a close at midnight on Friday 27 September – with a total of 1229 responses received.
Director of Strategic Planning and Transformation David Rowland said: “I’d like to thank everyone who has responded to the consultation on cottage hospitals, who has taken the time to consider the six potential options which have been developed, as well as the hybrid models developed by some local teams, and who has contributed their thoughts.
“The responses will be considered as part of the decision-making by Dumfries and Galloway Integration Joint Board when they hold an extraordinary meeting on October 29.”
Extensive consultation took place on the options which were developed with stakeholders following previous engagement – with 15 Right Care, Right Place in-person drop-in sessions which took place right across the region, virtual sessions, and the opportunity to submit thoughts via online forms.
These opportunities were heavily promoted with a newspaper advertising campaign, a radio campaign, posters, social media posts, and promotion by elected members and community groups
Mr Rowland said: “It’s important that everyone was encouraged and supported to have their say, and, importantly, that they understand the purpose of formal public consultation as a structured means for everyone to consider options, to explain what they like or don’t like, to challenge them, and to make suggestions – with this work being overseen independently by Healthcare Improvement Scotland – Community Engagement.
‘While it is important to remember that consultation is not a vote, or a referendum, I want to assure those who have contributed that their views will be considered by the decision-making body, in this case the Integration Joint Board. They will consider these along with the outcomes from the consultation, staffing availability, financial resources and the deliverability of these potential operating models, as well as the extent to which they can offer safe, effective care in line with local need.
“I very much appreciate that people are keen to see certainty over the future of the four cottage hospitals which have been the focus of the consultation.
“We don’t know what the IJB’s decision will be for each of these cottage hospitals, but I would ask that people understand the role of a consultation in informing rather than leading this decision-making. All the materials which will inform the outcomes will be published on the DGHSCP website ahead of this extraordinary meeting, and I would encourage everyone to take the opportunity to read these in full.”
The documents provided to the IJB to inform their decision will be able to be viewed by visiting the Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care website in the week commencing October 21 at https://dghscp.co.uk/integration-joint-board/integration-joint-board-meetings/
