Closed children’s ward to reopen in fortnight

A CHILDREN’S ward closed temporarily because of staff shortages is to reopen in two weeks, but health chiefs said there is a still concern over staff numbers.

NHS Lothian said children’s inpatient services in St John’s Hospital, Livingston, West Lothian, will resume operating as a 24-hour service on August 17 after being closed since the start of July.

However the service will remain “fragile” because of difficulties in recruiting medical and specialist nursing posts, despite national and international campaigns, the health board said. NHS Lothian will also now undertake a comprehensive review of acute paediatric services across the region.

Jim Crombie, chief officer of Acute Services, NHS Lothian, said “given the fragility of the out-of-hours rota and the continuing concerns about longer term sustainability, we have committed to undertake a comprehensive review of the acute paediatric service across Lothian”.

He said: “We have been struggling for some time to recruit sufficient trained staff to cover the out-of-hours rota at St John’s Hospital and have relied heavily on a small dedicated group of staff volunteering to cover this by working additional locum shifts in addition to their normal daytime responsibilities.

“A combination of this chronic recruitment problem, exacerbated by sick leave and maternity leave, meant that the rota was particularly vulnerable during the peak summer holiday period.

“We decided the safest option was to close the ward overnight and at weekends for a six-week period.”

The children’s ward has operated an assessment and programmed investigations unit Monday to Friday.