Health bosses in Fife have insisted there are no plans to close permanently a historic community hospital, despite staffing concerns.
Assurances have been sought that the Randolph Wemyss Memorial Hospital in Buckhaven still has a future as part of NHS Fife’s portfolio after plans to shut down one of the hospital’s units came to light.
A consultation is to be held on the cottage hospital’s Wellesley Unit, which provides end-of-life care and care for people due to be given social care packages in the community.
NHS Fife has confirmed this process will involve staff, patients and their families over the coming weeks, although it is understood the consultation will progress on the basis the 10-bed facility should be closed due to the staffing situation at present.
That has prompted worries among local residents and staff that the entire hospital itself, which will mark 111 years since its opening at the end of this month, may now be on borrowed time.
However, Claire Dobson, divisional general manager for the Fife health and social care partnership, has moved to allay those fears.
“There are no plans to close Randolph Wemyss Memorial Hospital,” she maintained.
“Patient safety is our single biggest priority and it is crucial that we ensure that we can deliver the best possible care in the right setting for each and every patient.
“Due to challenges in maintaining safe medical staffing levels we are about to start a period of consultation with patients, their families and staff about the future of the Wellesley Unit, which is a 10 bed in-patient ward providing end of life care and transitional care for patients awaiting social care provision.”
More details about how staff, patients and families can have their say on the Wellesley Unit’s future are expected to be revealed in the coming days and local councillor David Graham, who is also Fife Council’s health and social care spokesman, said he has been told the proposed closure will just be a “temporary” measure.
“I’m concerned to hear about the temporary closure of the Wellesley Unit in Randolph Wemyss Hospital,” he said.
“However, the clinical safety of all patients has to be of paramount importance and the service has had no choice on this occasion due to a lack of medical officer cover.
“I have been in touch with the service to discuss the situation and have received reassurance that this temporary closure has no bearing on the rest of the hospital and no closure of the hospital is planned.
“I have asked the service to look at all options possible to sustain the service for the future recognising that these are very challenging times for everyone.”
The hospital has been at the heart of the community since it was opened on August 28, 1909, and was designed for Lady Eva Wemyss in memory of her husband Randolph Gordon Erskine Wemyss, of Wemyss Castle, who had died in July 1908 aged just 50.
Its make-up has changed over the years but it currently provides a range of services including a men’s health clinic, sexual health clinic and integrated paediatric services, while the Wellesley Unit specifically covers palliative care and care for older people with complex medical and/or nursing care needs who require continuing care in a hospital environment.
