A DECISION has been taken not to close four of the region’s cottage hospitals – and instead develop them to provide a range of important services in those communities.
Dumfries and Galloway Integration Joint Board (IJB) reached that decision at an extraordinary meeting today, where they considered a range of options for cottage hospitals in Newton Stewart, Kirkcudbright, Thornhill and Moffat.
Options had ranged from reinstating inpatient care to closing the hospitals.
Speaking after the meeting, IJB Chair Andy McFarlane said: “A clear outcome has emerged from today’s meeting which guarantees the future of cottage hospitals in Newton Stewart, Kirkcudbright, Thornhill and Moffat, and which should see them working effectively to serve these communities for many years to come.
“A huge amount of information informed this decision, not least the extensive engagement, the options development and consultation work which took place.
“We feel that everything we’ve seen demonstrates that cottage hospitals continue to have a very important role to play in our communities, but that this role must evolve to best meet the changing needs of our population.”
The agreement reached today means there will be no return of in-patient services, but paves the way for these cottage hospitals to be able to provide an increased range of outpatient services and treatments.
The moves are viewed as opening up the ability of the cottage hospitals to provide a much wider range of services to a much wider range of people than before, while reducing the amount of travel out of these communities.
In the case of Moffat Cottage Hospital, the building will be adapted to serve as the new, permanent location of the town’s GP practice – something which was popular within the community and vital to the sustainability of those services.
Mr McFarlane said: “We’re assured that these models are achievable and sustainable, and are best placed to meet the needs of these communities.”
In reaching these decisions, the IJB considered data on workforce, finances, views of professional advisers, assessment of deliverability, and the results of the extensive public consultation.
Mr McFarlane said: “We very definitely listened to what came through the consultation. Indeed, I attended some of the 15 in-person consultation events which took place right across the region.
“As part of that, we heard people raising calls for a return of in-patient services.
“But we had to consider whether that’s the right focus, and the right move.
“Our data consistently shows that at any point we actually have more than enough capacity in our hospitals to provide in-patient care for people who have a medical need to be in a hospital – benefiting from the full focus of our trained medical professionals.
“For those people who don’t have a medical requirement to be in hospital, but instead should be being looked after at home or in a homely setting, that’s what we should be aiming to provide. It benefits them, and it benefits the system.
“A move agreed by the IJB last autumn means we are now seeing the commissioning of flexible intermediate-care beds within care homes.
“In much more appropriate surroundings, and with much more appropriate staffing, people can receive step-down care, step-up care, and palliative and end-of-life care.
“This benefits them, and it allows these four cottage hospitals to be used as was intended – as a base from which to deliver medical services, staffed by people using their full skills as qualified medical professionals.
“We want to see these sites continue to evolve to meet changing needs. And while we’re aware of calls to go further, with the likes of minor injuries units, we have to be realistic around what we can provide, and what is safe, effective and sustainable at this time.
“Let me conclude by suggesting that people take time to engage fully with all the materials which were presented to us, and to watch the recordings of our meeting and see our deliberations. All of this is contained at this website: https://dghscp.co.uk/integration-joint-board/integration-joint-board-meetings/
“In doing so, you will see this is a decision not taken lightly, but one which has required a great deal of consideration to come up with an approach which looks to ensure people are receiving the right treatment and care in the right place, at the right time.
“This isn’t an end, but instead a step in a continuing process focused on how we best provide health and social care to our local communities.”
As an outcome from the meeting, directions have now been issued by the IJB to NHS Dumfries and Galloway to take forward the development of the four cottage hospitals as community hubs.
The IJB has also issued a direction to Dumfries and Galloway Council to ensure that they have developed a comprehensive model of social care provision within communities across the region.
