The inpatient ward at Pitlochry Community Hospital will reopen later this month after a lengthy closure due to staffing issues.
It had been closed in January due to staffing challenges which have been longstanding as the health board struggles to recruit in rural areas of Highland Perthshire.
Perth and Kinross Health and Social Care Partnership says that these recruitment challenges, coupled with the impact from the coronavirus pandemic, had led to “critical staffing issues” at the hospital.
But the health board says a recruitment drive has now paid off, with six nurses being appointed to staff the ward.
Four inpatient beds at the GP unit will reopen from Monday, with the remaining five beds opening in the autumn.
NHS Tayside ‘delighted’ to see Pitlochry hospital ward reopen
Other services at the hospital, including outpatient care, have been unaffected by the closure.
Jacquie Pepper, chief officer for Perth & Kinross HSCP, said she was delighted to see the ward reopen.
Ms Pepper added: “Patient safety is always our priority and the difficult decision to temporarily close the ward was needed as we were unable to staff the ward with the number of nurses to ensure the safe delivery of patient care.
“Thanks to the hard work of our teams, we have now been able to recruit nurses to vacancies in the ward and patients will be welcomed back on a phased basis.
“Four inpatient beds will be open this month, with the remaining five beds due to open in the autumn.”
She also thanked staff at the hospital, saying they were “incredibly dedicated to patient care”.
Local councillor Xander McDade, who had campaigned for the hospital to reopen, told The Courier he was delighted to see the ward reopen after an “anxious six months of closure”.
He said: “This has been the number one concern raised with me by local residents and service users since the temporary closure at new year.”
But the councillor, who is also provost of Perth and Kinross Council, added: “It is now vital we resolve the underlying issue of affordable housing for key workers and I will continue to work with the council and partners on long term solutions.”
