Health chiefs in Fife have categorically denied that a decision to close a ward at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy has been taken amid continued speculation about the move.
NHS Fife issued a response to claims at the weekend by independent councillor Andrew Rodger that ward 13 will shut in the coming months as part of an ongoing review of services ahead of the opening of the hospital’s new £170 million extension.
Mr Rodger told The Courier earlier this week that he has written to health board chairman Professor Jim McGoldrick seeking “straight answers” about the rumoured closure, which he believes will be pushed through before June’s first ever health board elections.
But NHS Fife again rejected the claims on Tuesday, pointing out that talks are continuing on how the health board can best use its resources when the new-look hospital opens in around two years.
An NHS Fife spokesman said, “NHS Fife has received a letter from Councillor Rodger outlining his concerns and we will be replying to his letter.
“As previously stated, as part of a continual process of service review to ensure that we utilise our beds, staff and other resources efficiently, we have examined the redesign of services in advance of the opening of the new wing at Victoria Hospital. No decision has yet been taken and discussions are ongoing.”
When the new extension opens, the wing will have more than 500 beds in 17 wards, 11 operating theatres and a maternity unit, among other services.
Services currently provided at Victoria and Forth Park hospitals in Kirkcaldy and Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline will be provided on the redeveloped Victoria site and at the Queen Margaret the latter of which will be reconfigured to provide the major diagnostic and treatment centre for Fife.ImpactMr Rodger has conducted his own investigation into what impact the loss of beds could potentially have on staff and patients, adding that staff had also contacted him to express their concerns.
“By placing patients in inappropriate beds, this will lead to major problems to both staff and patients,” he said.
“Staff have approached me and are very alarmed by the situation.
“On a daily basis at the Victoria there are three bed meetings per day where a member of staff from each ward will attend.
“At the meeting bed availability is discussed and each ward gives their bed availability, and any discharges and any patients they can board out to other wards to allow new admissions in.
“The bed co-ordinator then gives the daily predicated admissions and discharges and then staff will be asked to try and get more discharges from consultants if it is possible and to return to the next meeting with names of boarders. This means patients are moved out to another ward.
“My investigation concludes what usually happens is that the admissions ward is full and there are hardly any downstream beds available.”
Mr Rodger added that he had learned boarders were usually elderly people who do not tend to complain.
“Staff are telling me these patients can be moved from ward to ward late at night,” he said.
“My major concern is, if there are hardly any beds in the system, why are we closing down a ward when the hospital is working at full capacity?”