Sick kids ward to stay shut at weekends
Part-time hours continue due to shortage of staff
A staffing crisis continues to grip Paisley’s closurethreatened sick kids ward as health bosses reveal it will continue to operate part-time hours.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde chiefs announced yesterday that ward 15 at the Royal Alexandra Hospital will close each weekend throughout August due to staff shortages.
Initially, part- time hours were imposed last month with health board officials saying the ward could not run safely at its current staffing levels.
The shortened hours will now continue throughout August.
Paisley-based Labour MSP Neil Bibby blasted health officials over their failure to fully staff the ward.
He said: “This will anger many local families that rely on the services of the RAH and specifically the children’s ward.
“I know from speaking to families who rely on the ward how important it is.
“They believe that it should be a 24-hour service and families should be able to rely on the excellent service provided by the staff not just all week round but all year round.
“They will be very angered by this decision to extend the shortened opening hours.
“Time and again the RAH has suffered from a staffing crisis.
“Surely it is not too much to ask of the Scottish Government and the NHS to employ enough people to staff hospitals. The staff at ward 15 are doing a fantastic job in the circumstances, but they need help.”
The NHS claims that despite appointing new staff to the ward recently it is still not fully operational.
An NHSGGC spokesman: “While we have been successful in attracting a number of skilled paediatric nurses in recent weeks, we remain unable to safely staff Ward 15 throughout 24 hours across seven days.
“This is due to a combination of nurses leaving, others on maternity leave and an ongoing challenge to recruit more paediatric nurses.
“At this stage, we have therefore made provision to extend the temporary weekend closure arrangement beyond the initial two-week period throughout August.
“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.
“Our commitment and priority is always to patient care and safety and this is the only reason we have taken this temporary decision.”
The ward will close at noon on Thursday and re-open on Monday at 7am throughout August.
Earlier this year, NHSGGC recommended the closure of the ward with Scottish Health secretary Robison set to make the final decision on its future later this year.