Petition launched in bid to save Fife hospital’s end of life care unit

A peaceful protest was held outside the hospital last week following the decision by the Fife Health and Social Care Partnership’s Integrated Joint Board (IJB) to close the 10-bed unit, over concerns for patient safety. The decision was made because the partnership had been unable to recruit a new doctor to provide medical cover.

The Wellesley Unit also provides transitional care for patients awaiting social care provision and very occasionally hospital based complex clinical care.

However, the decision has been criticised. In response, a petition has been launched which calls for the decision to be reversed. And tomorrow (Thursday) councillors will be asked to back a motion which calls on council leaders to write to health bosses also asking for the decision to be reversed.

“We need to make sure that all the options are on the table,” said Councillor Ryan Smart.

He said he was “extremely surprised” by the decision and claimed it had “been done through the back door”.

Weeks ago, when the Mail asked NHS Fife whether the unit would be closing, it said no decision would be taken until staff, patients and their families had been consulted. Readers contacted the Mail to say staff had already been told the unit would be closing – weeks before the decision was officially taken.

Councillor David Graham, a member of the IJB, also put forward a motion calling for the unit to be temporarily closed while other options were assessed. However, he was outvoted, with 12 of the IJB’s 15 members choosing to close the unit and take on the advice of the health chiefs.

“The support that has been received from the community is a testament to the feeling that folk have for the hospital in our community,” said Cllr Graham. “The decision to close the ward permanently is devastating for our community. We cannot keep just shutting places down every time we run short of staff.”

“There’s a feeling that this is the beginning of the end for the hospital,” Cllr Smart added. “It feels like just a matter of time until we lose our other services at the hospital. We need to find a solution that keeps the unit open.”

Local councillor David Alexander was one of the IJB members who voted to close the unit. He said no staff would be losing their jobs and there would be no budget cuts as a result of the decision, and that it was only taken for patient safety.

“I voted because the ward was not clinically safe because of the withdrawl of the medical officer,” he said.

“It is not about closing the hospital or cutting budgets.

“When you sit on the IJB, you’re not there as a councillor but as a member to make the best decisions for the health of Fifers.”

Councillor Alexander also highlighted that there are new plans for the unit.

NHS Fife and Fife Council promised that they will develop a community health and well-being hub model at the hospital to support the needs of older people who would have otherwise been cared for in the  unit.

Chief officer of Fife’s IJB Nicky Connor said there had been “ongoing challenges” in maintaining safe medical staffing at the unit.

Dr Helen Hellewell, associate medical director, said that other alternatives had been explored, but that the IJB was left with no other option but to close the unit.

Ms Connor added: “Working with our partners we will now commission care to support the needs of older people who would otherwise have been cared for in the Wellesley Unit.

“Moving forward we will look at how best to develop community services at Randolph Wemyss Memorial Hospital in line with the developing Community Hospital Re-design strategy to ensure health and social care services continue to meet the needs of the communities we serve.”