Call for full restoration of out of hours service at St Andrews Hospital

Community councils across north east Fife have called for the full reintroduction of services at St Andrews Community Hospital.
St Andrews Community Hospital.St Andrews Community Hospital.
St Andrews Community Hospital.

The Citizen revealed in March that a proposal had been drafted that would see the service being retained but with reduced opening hours, although covered in north east Fife by a GP in a car.

However, 26 community councils in north east Fife have written to Fife Health & Social Care Partnership saying the current out of hours service at the hospital should not be reduced or replaced, that the service should be fully restored, and, if possible, even extended.

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Dr Angela Anderson, chair of the OOH Group said: “The work we have done has only confirmed the overwhelming need for an OOH service based at St Andrews as previous assessments did not take into account the high number of walk-ins.

“Of course we are disappointed that the emerging addendum did not envisage the restoration of a full service, but we regard it as a positive start and something to build on.

“We urge the Partnership to bring its new proposal for out of hours services to the IJB for ratification as soon as possible, and begin the practical work of returning an overnight service to north east Fife. It’s been closed for far too long.

“St Andrews Community Hospital is a fantastic, purpose-built facility which has the potential to house not just a restored service, but an extended one. We have no doubt that the demand is there.”

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