Health chiefs say a shake-up of Angus minor injury services aims to extend local access rather than withdraw provision after a bid to stall the changes by the council leader failed.
In a move agreed by the area’s Integration Joint Board, Arbroath Infirmary will become the centre for more “complex” minor injury cases. It will include x-rays.
But officials pledged it will not see the doors at Whitehills minor injury unit in Forfar close completely.
Under the new set-up, Angus patients will be directed to Community Care and Treatment Services (CTAC).
Those will deal with the likes of wound management, phlebotomy (blood sampling) and chronic disease management.
Hundreds of responses to Angus minor injuries consultation
The plans were the subject of a consultation which drew almost 600 responses.
But the public raised areas of concern including people having to travel across Angus to access services such as x-rays.
And health officials admitted mention of a “centralised” service at Arbroath Infirmary had sent out the wrong message.
IJB members signed off the new strategy at their meeting in Forfar.
It came after Angus Council leader George Meechan moved to defer the matter to a future IJB.
But when asked for the reason for delaying a decision, Mr Meechan said: “The reason being is that …this is a difficult one.
“We believe that we have additional questions, or will have additional questions.
“However, given our knowledge of the subject we’re not sure what they are yet.”
Nurse-led care in new model
Angus Health and Social Care Partnership chief officer Jillian Galloway told the meeting the strategy represented a “considered move towards a more person-centred and integrated model”.
“It’s not about withdrawing services, it’s about extending access,” she said.
Kirriemuir GP Scott Jamieson said: “This concept is not something people will be familiar with.
“CTACs are local, nurse-led facilities delivering a range of plans and routine core services that traditionally we would have provided within general practice.
He described the changes as a “subtle shift”.
“In many cases patients will notice little difference to the care they receive.”
CTAC staff will, however, be employed by the health partnership rather than GP surgeries.
On the specific issue of Whitehills MIIU in Forfar he said: “For a population of that size and the number of minor injuries per day we struggled to justify a person doing that job.
“You’ll be going to the same place, but it might not have Whitehills MIU. It might have Whitehills CTAC.
“It’s our intention not to degrade that.”
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