Sick kids ward faces weekend closures
Health bosses say they haven’t got enough nurses
Hours at Paisley’s sick kids ward will be slashed over the next two weekends as there aren’t enough nurses to staff it safely.
Campaigners have blasted NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde over its decision to close ward 15 at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for two weekends beginning on July 21 over safety fears.
The move means that in emergencies, young patients will be taken to the new Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.
The under- threat ward has been earmarked for closure under health board plans to transfer paediatric inpatient services to the new super hospital in Glasgow – and now campaigners fear the move is one step closer.
Carolann Davidson, spokeswoman for the Kids Need Our Ward group, fears the weekend closures are just the start.
She said: “This is marks the first step to downgrading ward 15 at the RAH. It is the first step to closure in our eyes.
“They will say” ‘Look ...the ward is coping without opening on weekends’ – we can make the temporary decision permanent.
“And when it becomes unsafe to run the ward that way, it will make the decision for the Scottish Government for them. They can say: ‘It wasn’t working, we need to close it’.
“Closing the ward at the weekend will have a massive impact on some families. Especially families who have open access to the ward and who can take their children there at anytime.
“The ward deals with children with complex needs. These children don’t decide when to get ill, they can’t just avoid getting ill at the weekend. It seems clear that this is the first proper step to close the ward – and it is so transparent.”
The final decision on the ward’s future will be taken by Scottish Health Secretary Shona Robison, who visited parents at the RAH just last week to hear their concerns.
An NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde spokesman confirmed the weekend closures, but said that most patients would be unaffected.
He said: “Paediatric services at the RAH will temporarily run on from Monday to Thursday on a 24 hours a day basis and on a Friday cease to receive admissions at noon, and close at 7pm This will ensure the vast bulk of clinical activity continues to be delivered to our young patients in the hospital’s ward 15.
“Despite best efforts of our managers and clinical leads we are unable to safely staff the ward throughout 24 hours across seven days for the rest of July, due to a combination of nurses leaving, others on maternity leave and an on-going challenge to recruit more paediatric nurses.
“We continue to actively recruit paediatric nursing staff to maintain all our inpatient, outpatient and day care services for children. We are advertising locally, nationally and internationally. There is a shortage of paediatric nurses right across the UK but we have been successful in attracting a number of skilled paediatric nurses in recent weeks and our efforts to recruit more are continuing.
“The temporary weekend closure of ward 15 will come into effect this weekend and next weekend. The ward is at its quietest over the weekend and any patients requiring hospital treatment over the weekend will be treated at the Royal Hospital for Children on the Queen Elizabeth campus. The situation will remain under constant review, as we continue to find solutions to the staffing shortage challenge.”