NIGHT CLOSURE THREAT FOR KIDS’ WARD
Sick children would be sent to Edinburgh
The children’s ward at St John’s Hospital is in danger of being closed permanently in the evenings and patients sent to Edinburgh for treatment.
According to a new report overnight paediatric services could be scrapped if the hospital is not able resume them full-time in the next year to 18 months.
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has been investigating children’s care at the hospital since overnight services were suspended in 2017 because of staff shortages.
In March 2019 overnight care began again at the Livingston hospital four nights a week and it was hoped that full-time cover would be reinstated shortly after.
However, a third RCPCH report has suggested that the hospital may have to become a short stay paediatric assessment unit, with children who need overnight care being treated in hospitals elsewhere.
It says arrangements for children’s care at the hospital are “extremely fragile” and there are concerns that if any of the 23 clinicians currently working in the service were to leave or become ill they would become unsustainable.
It also states the opening of new Royal Hospital for Sick Children (RSHSC) will lead to resources being reassessed.
The report said: “NHS Lothian should be congratulated for
making considerable and impressive efforts to support overnight inpatient paediatric services at St John’s Hospital.
“However, the current arrangements are extremely fragile and the sustainability of overnight provision may be threatened were any of the 23 clinicians who currently support the rota to move on or take leave unexpectedly.
It adds: “The review team concludes that the paediatric consultant teams at SJH, working in collaboration with colleagues at RHSC, should develop an action plan for fully implementing option 1 (24/7 cover for the paediatric and neonatal service at St John’s) in a manner that is sustainable and addresses concerns regarding the fragility of the service.
“If this cannot be achieved within the next 12 to 18 months and doubts regarding sustainability cannot reliably be addressed or if there are any further nights when the children’s ward has to close unexpectedly then consideration should be given to whether SJH should become a short-stay paediatric assessment unit (SSPAU).”
Lothians Labour MSP Neil Findlay is “deeply concerned” that staffing issues could mean that overnight paediatric services at St John’s will cease completely.
“If the service is downgraded to a short stay assessment unit then children in West Lothian will lose access to overnight care close to home,” he said.
“This situation has been going on for seven years and the needs of the community are not being met.
“It is vital that staff numbers are addressed immediately so that the threat to paediatric services can be properly challenged and removed.”
SNP MSP for Almond Valley Angela Constance said: “Returning the children’s ward to a 24/7 service as soon as possible remains in the best interests of the children of West Lothian and across the region, given that our local population continues to grow.
“NHS Lothian and government have continued to state their resolute commitment to increase the four-day inpatient service to a seven-day service. It is therefore beholden on all local politicians to hold their feet to the fire on this.
“My ask of NHS Lothian in response the Royal College report is that they develop an action plan at pace to reinstate a 24/ 7 service as soon as possible, that consideration is given to what additional children’s services can be situated at St John’s Hospital to securely anchor the children’s ward for the longer term and to recognise that resolving this once and for all is in the interest of all children, both in West Lothian and further afield.”
Lothian Conservative MSP Miles Briggs said added: “Recruitment and retention of NHS staff is extremely important and SNP ministers have not managed to do this effectively.
“This reports raises a lot of concerns about the sustainability of a 24/ 7 paediatric ward at St John’s hospital which must be addressed.
“SNP ministers have promised West Lothian families to keep a 24/7 service and Scottish Conservatives will continue to hold the SNP to their word.”
NHS Lothian’s paediatric programme board, which was created to develop and implement a strategy to deliver safe and sustainable services, will now consider the findings of this latest report and begin formulating an action plan.
Medical director Tracey Gillies said: “We will consider their findings and work with their recommendations to create a robust action plan to work towards the necessary staffing model needed to deliver a 24/7 service.
“We have always said that we could only restore the full service when it was safe and sustainable to do so and that remains our priority.”
Calum Campbell, interim chief executive of NHS Lothian, said: “We are firmly committed to doing all we can to restore the 24 hours service seven days a week for children in West Lothian as soon as we can.”