Hospital set to close out-of-hours service for nine days in May

● Latest setback for patients as GP service cut due to staffing issues

Problems with the out-ofhours GP service at a Scottish hospital have worsened to the extent there will be no cover available for nine out of 23 weekday overnights next month.

A difficulty recruiting and replacing nurses at St John’s Hospital in Livingston has led NHS Lothian to consider temporarily pulling their unscheduled care service, which runs from 6pm to 8am during the week.

The Lothian unscheduled care service (LUCS) has lost a further three nurses from the hospital in the past month, which has made the service unsustainable for some periods of time. This comes on the back of 14 nurses quitting GP practices across the region in the past year – the majority from St John’s Hospital.

Directors from the health board will brief MSPS on the issue affecting the GP out-ofhours service on Friday. The children’s ward at the hospital was shut for 18 months due to staffing pressures, but reopened four nights a week last month and is set to be fully reopened in October.

Scottish Labour MSP Neil Findlay described the latest move as another “bitter blow” for NHS services at Livingston. He said: “After the farce of the government’s handling of children’s services at the St John’s hospital, we are now seeing

0 St John’s Hospital is struggling to recruit nurses

cuts to out-of-hours services for primary care. The root of this is a workforce crisis in the NHS, which is impacting on services in NHS Lothian.

“The health secretary needs to urgently respond to this and explain why the people of Livingston are facing more cuts on her watch.”

The health board said the out-of-hours service could closeatmidnightonnineoccasions in May. This would prevent short notice closures and a lack of staff – two negative factors that have contributed to both GPS and nurses leaving LUCS due to difficult shifts, the

board said. The care service will make sure there is a car in West Lothian available to visit frail and terminal patients at home. Dr Sian Tucker, LUCS’ clinical director, said: “The decision to reduce the service in a planned and co-ordinated way has been taken because of staffing issues, which means there are not enough nurses to fill the nursing rota.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said all health boards were expected to deliver a safe, sustainable out-ofhours service.