Hospital set to turn away sick children in the middle of night
A CRISIS-hit children’s ward could be set to turn patients away at night for the third time following an expert review.
A lack of staff on the ward at St John’s Hospital in Livingston, West Lothian, forced it to shut during the summers of 2012 and 2015, raising fears for its future.
But, while the ward is expected to remain open, new recommendations could see it closed overnight to emergency patients once again from August.
Health board NHS Lothian is being asked to approve a plan to keep the ward running using consultants based there overnight. However, as the hospital battles to find doctors – having paid locums a triple wage rate to provide cover – a review found the solution will take up to two years to implement.
In the meantime, if the proposals by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) are accepted, all children who are not in a stable condition will be transferred to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh between 8pm and 8am.
Tory health spokesman Miles Briggs said: ‘Patients need to know that St John’s is not going to become a cottage hospital – it’s a major acute facility and needs to stay that way.
‘While this solution revealed today is welcome, there is still a long way to go.’
The official report into inpatient children’s services across the NHS found St John’s Hospital ‘may not be safe’ at all times because of the staffing crisis.
Last summer it was forced for the second time in three years to shut overnight for six weeks, having been left without staff cover.
But the solutions suggested by the RCPCH could leave parents
‘There is still a long way to go’
facing much the same situation, it emerged yesterday. Option one, which is recommended by the Royal College, is to keep consultants at the hospital overnight to look after sick and emer- gency young patients. However, this could be unworkable or take up to two years to put into place, given the hospital has already tried to switch to overnight consultants for new appointments but struggled to recruit staff.
Whether option one failed or took time to implement, option two would be introduced from August, leaving patients facing similar problems to last summer and in 2012, when it shut.
As on those occasions, out-ofhours patients will be turned away between 8pm and 8am, although those in a stable condition will be able to stay overnight. Option three would see the ward close at nights from 10pm.
NHS Lothians’ board will decide next week on which options to accept. It had previously been feared that it might decide to shut the ward down.
Jim Crombie, chief officer of acute services at NHS Lothian, said: ‘I want to ensure that we can deliver the safest services for children across Lothian, which is why we commissioned the experts at the RCPCH to carry out an independent review.’
Health Secretary Shona Robison said: ‘The Scottish Government has supported NHS Lothian to recruit to St John’s, and we will continue to do so.
‘The Scottish Government stands ready to support NHS Lothian to implement the report’s recommendations, including retaining inpatient paediatrics at St John’s.’