NHS Fife considers Out of Hours Group participation request

Community council submits bid to health board over redesign of services at town’s hospital

NHS Fife has said it is considering a community’s bid to get involved in the decision over out-of-hours GP cover.

St Andrews Community Council submitted a participation request under the Community Empowerment Act last Friday, in the hope they could contribute to the redesign of services at the town’s hospital.

The request, on behalf of the Out of Hours Group, comprising a number of community councils, GPs and individuals, is thought to be a first for Fife and was prompted by a proposal by Fife Health and Social Care Partnership to withdraw out-of-hours GPs from St Andrews.

A final decision is due to be taken on the future of community care, including the out-of-hours service, on December 20.

NHS Fife chairwoman Tricia Marwick confirmed the participation request had been received and clarification was being sought.

Because of the timing, the final say on the matter will come from Mrs Marwick and a group of committee chairs rather than the entire NHS Fife board.

“NHS Fife has been forwarded a participation request on behalf of St Andrews Community Council to permit them to be formally consulted and to take part in discussions on proposals by the integrated joint board (IJB) of the Fife Health and Social Care Partnership around the Joining Up Care consultation, with particular reference to the St Andrews area,” Mrs Marwick said.

“This participation request was received by NHS Fife on Friday and we have been seeking legal advice and clarification about the matter, including what further information, if any, is needed from the community council before arriving at a decision.”

Mrs Marwick said it was important that both the community council and IJB members were told whether the request had been accepted before a decision on joining up care was made.

“However, no further meeting of the NHS Fife board is scheduled until January,” she said.

“The decision whether to accept the participation request has therefore been delegated to me as chair, the chief executive of NHS Fife, and the chairs of the relevant governance committees, and will be made in due course.”

The health and social care partnership has said continuing out-of-hours care at four centres is not sustainable due to a shortage of GPs and nursing staff.

It has proposed two options – centralising services at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy or having two centres at Victoria and Queen Margaret in Dunfermline.

No further meeting of the NHS Fife board is scheduled until January. TRICIA MARWICK

Picture: Steven Brown. From left: Health Secretary Jeane Freeman, NHS Fife chairwoman Tricia Marwick and chief operating officer Jann Gardner during a tour of Victoria Hospital earlier this year. A final decision is to be made on the community council bid on December 20.