DECISIONS on the future roles of four of the region’s cottage hospitals are due to be taken at a meeting next week.
The extraordinary meeting of Dumfries and Galloway Integration Joint Board (IJB) on Tuesday 29 October will consider options for the cottage hospitals in Moffat, Thornhill, Newton Stewart and Kirkcudbright.
Options for consideration range from reinstating inpatient care to closing the hospitals completely and selling off the land.
David Rowland is Director of Strategic Planning and Transformation for Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership, which was asked by the IJB to consult on options for each of the four sites.
Mr Rowland said: “As a Health and Social Care Partnership, we’re very conscious of a desire from the IJB, staff, public and stakeholders to have a clear plan for the four cottage hospitals in Moffat, Thornhill, Newton Stewart and Kirkcudbright.
“Over the last two years a very large amount of work has taken place engaging with communities, staff and stakeholders – leading to a point where we’ve consulted on a range of options and are now making recommendations to the IJB.”
Nicole Hamlet is Interim Chief Officer of Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership
Mrs Hamlet said: “To be explicit – our clear recommendation to the IJB is to retain these important facilities, and see them developed as community hubs to offer a wider range of out-patient services and treatments, making them more accessible for local people.
“Ultimately, the decisions sit with the IJB, who will consider all of the information and the recommendations at their meeting next week. A statement will be provided by the IJB once they have made their decisions.
“We very much hope that everyone will recognise the very great care which has been taken to consider the best use of these cottage hospitals in the future.”
Dumfries and Galloway Integration Joint Board sets out the strategy for health and adult social care within the region. Its membership includes councillors, NHS Board Non-Executive Directors, third sector, independent sector and patient and Carer representatives. The IJB issues directions to the NHS and local authority.
Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership (DGHSCP) is the public sector body responsible for ensuring that the directions of the IJB are actioned by the NHS and council, who are the two statutory partners within the organisation.
Papers for next week’s extraordinary meeting of the IJB have been published on the DGHSCP website at this address: https://dghscp.co.uk/integration-joint-board/integration-joint-board-meetings/
Next week’s extraordinary meeting of the IJB takes place in Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary on 29 October at 12 noon. A recording of the meeting will be made available to view following the meeting at the DGHSCP website page https://dghscp.co.uk/integration-joint-board/integration-joint-board-meetings/
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