Ashludie Hospital could shut this summer as plans are under way to move its final patients.
A plan is already in place to transfer elderly female dementia patients from Ward 7 at the Monifieth hospital to Ward 18 at Liff Hospital this month. However, NHS Tayside chief operating officer Lesley McLay has confirmed the remaining patients in Wards 1 and 3 could also be moved this summer.
While she refused to confirm if the move would herald the final closure of the hospital, speculation about the building’s future is rife.
One hospital source, who refused to be named for fear of retribution, spoke of fear staff will be ”thrown to the lions” when the final patients are moved.
The source said: ”I am one of the staff immediately affected by the imminent closure of Ashludie Hospital. We feel that we have been thrown to the lions as the gut feeling is that we will all be moved into jobs that are not consistent with our skills base and may force some people to subsequently resign from the NHS, thus assisting their staff-cutting targets.”
Ms McLay said the plan is to move patients from Wards 1 and 3 in the summer but stressed the future of the hospital is not a done deal.
She said: ”No decision regarding the future of Ashludie has been taken by Tayside NHS Board.”
Ms McLay said Ward 6 would be remodelled in line with the patients’ needs, and she also sought to allay staff fears, saying all staff would be transferred to Liff and the Royal Victoria with their patients.