Scathing reaction to latest Victoria Hospital A&E revelations
They couldn't hold a raffle — that is health campaigner Councillor Andrew Rodger's view of NHS Fife's operational division management after revelations that Kirkcaldy's Victoria Hospital could be left without A&E cover overnight and at weekends for the next year.
Andrew Rodger outside Victoria Hospital.
- By Bruce Fegen
- Published in the Courier : 19.11.10
- Published online : 19.11.10 @ 02.10pm
No decision has been taken, but staffing shortages which saw the department downgraded to a minor illness unit on several occasions this year are likely to happen again in the coming months.
This has led to discussions to deal with the situation until the Victoria's new wing opens in January 2012 and, as we reported on Thursday, it is thought the favoured option is to reintroduce the contingency plans on a fixed, rather than intermittent, basis.
Responding to the news, Mr Rodger said health minister Nicola Sturgeon had made it quite clear that the Scottish Government wanted two Fife A&E sites.
He hit out at the recent closure of ward 13 at the Victoria and said that at the weekend there were 13 people waiting for beds, with some having to have operations cancelled. He even had one constituent waiting for 15 hours on a trolley.
Mr Rodger said, "Now we have this with A&E again and it is totally unacceptable. When they don't have A&E cover, there are no medical admissions at the hospital.
"It's incredible that we are back into this scenario again and they (management) couldn't hold a raffle.
"Every other hospital in Scotland has the same constraints and the same problem with junior doctors, but they don't have the same situation as Fife," he said, adding that unless things are sorted out the accreditation for training junior doctors could be lost.
"There must be a full discussion about this — does it mean that everyone will have to start travelling to Dunfermline?"
'Beds before managers'
Mr Rodger added, "This is nothing to do with doctors — it is about budgets and finances, yet they have been given money by the government. NHS Fife ... must put beds before managers.
"Quite simply, they cannot manage their finances and while other organisations have started to cut back on their managers, they are taking managers on. What is happening is absolutely shocking."
He continued, "I have every confidence in Nicola Sturgeon — she has been a good health minister — but Fife continually wants to embarrass her because of weak controls and management.
"I want to make it clear that this is nothing to do with the medical staff — they do an excellent job. It is down to bad management."
An NHS Fife spokesman said, "NHS Fife's over-riding concern at all times is to provide safe clinical care. As was accurately reported in yesterday's Courier, the operational divisional committee received a progress report on the provision of acute and emergency medical services."
The spokesman added, "This report updated the committee on the current position on these services, given that there were staffing concerns earlier in the year.
"As previously stated, no decision was sought from or made by the committee at this stage, and the committee asked to be kept informed of developments through receipt of regular reports."
10.21am - 21.11.2010 Bud Ice - Edinburgh, Scotland Report This
Forth Valley went to 1 A&E years ago. There's only 2 options - the contingency plans on a fixed basis or a single A&E at QMH (where surgery + anaesthetics are currently held). The problem with the latter option is the logistics of transferring patients back along to VHK after their acute care in QMH
Add a comment