Extending hospital services in St Andrews could help ease A&E waiting times across Fife.
That’s the view of St Andrews Research Group on Health and Social Care, who are renewing calls for the Community Hospital to be open for longer.
A&E waiting times in Fife continue to cause concern and have done for a number of months.
Who are the group?
The group, draws on the advice of the caring professions and local councillors and has been following NHS developments in Fife for some years.
The group comprises of:
- Dr Angela Anderson, Retired Senior Medical Officer with the Scottish Government.
- Penelope Fraser, Consultant Clinical Psychologist.
- Peter Lomas, PhD, Community Councillor in Balmullo, North-East Fife.
They wrote to us to give their views and outline the current issues faced for those living in north-east Fife.
What do they think the issues are?
They believe a rethink of services is needed to ease current problems including:
- No A&E department at St Andrews meaning emergency cases are transported to Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy or across the Tay to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.
- Older roads and no dual carriageway in north-east Fife meaning a lack of fast roads for ambulance drivers to take patients to those hospitals.
- Issues in winter with potential for Tay Road Bridge closures reducing A&E options to one.
- A changing population in St Andrews with an influx of tourists and students at certain points in the year.
Dr Anderson and Mr Lomas explain: “The Community Hospital currently hosts two permanently-staffed rehabilitation wards and a Minor Injuries Unit, supported by the GP practices sited there, and also working out-of-hours.
“Clearly there is a strong case for focusing Urgent Care services for north-east Fife in north-east Fife, and extending the hours they are available.”
Reduction of urgent care
The group also cites evidence on patient numbers, gathered by Professor Peter Mills.
They say the reduction of Urgent Care services at Dunfermline, Glenrothes and St Andrews in 2018/19 led to an increase of almost 60% in the patients seen at Kirkcaldy.
They add: “There is a real need for these services to be provided locally in St Andrews. Most cases of illness or injury turning up at A&E departments can be satisfactorily dealt with by a Community-Hospital-based Urgent Care service.
“It is both more efficient and more compassionate to look to St Andrews for this solution.”
‘A logical solution’
And as the Scottish Government cite plans for £300 million of measures to tackle the crisis, Dr Anderson and Mr Lomas say there’s a simple solution.
“A logical solution would be to extend the hours in the Out-of-Hours service at St. Andrews Community Hospital.
“This would make it possible for more patients to be dealt with locally and relieve pressures on A&E departments in both Fife and Tayside.”
Bryan Davies, Head of Primary and Preventative Care Services, Fife Health & Social Care Partnership says: “We are working with a range of services and partners to ensure, despite the challenges, people continue to receive the right care, at the right place in the right time, with patients at the highest clinical need being identified early and prioritised.
‘A range of services’
“St Andrews Community hospital continues to provide a range of services as well as out of hours and our local pharmacies provide a Pharmacy First as an alternative option for minor ailments, treatment and prescriptions.”
He highlights the range of services currently operating for Fifers, including GP practices, Pharmacy First and NHS Inform and NHS24, adding: “In an emergency, always call 999.”