Patient care could come to an end in the ageing tower block at Victoria Hospital, which became part of Fife’s main general hospital five years ago.
It is proposed to shift elective orthopaedics into the adjoining new wing at a cost of £8 million, due to below-standard facilities hampered by flooding, leaks and electrical issues.
Although there are no immediate plans to shift other clinical services in the 50-year-old block, including three medical wards for elderly people, NHS Fife admitted the tower was unsustainable as a clinical environment in the long term.
Hip and knee operations have been disrupted due to drainage problems in the 1967-built structure which an NHS Fife report said provided below standard facilities.
A plan – which is yet be approved – has been drawn up for the service to be relocated to the new £170 million wing of the hospital which opened in August 2012.
Professor Scott McLean, NHS Fife chief operating officer, said: “Although discussions are at a very early stage, we are looking to make sure our nationally recognised elective orthopaedic centre remains one of the most efficient, effective services in the country.
“No decisions have been taken to relocate the service, but future-proofing could involve, for example, undertaking work to improve the current environment by relocating it to another purpose-built part of the Victoria.”
Despite the tower’s age, he said, patients there receive high quality, safe care every day.
He said: “Whilst there are no immediate plans to relocate clinical services from the tower block, we recognise that in time we will likely need to provide more modern facilities.”
Non-clinical services already delivered in the tower block include health records, training and education and clinical support teams.
The report said that if the orthopaedic centre remained in the tower with little or no investment, there would be significant risk to safety and its continuity.
It also said: “The VHK [Victoria Hospital] tower block is generally unsustainable as a clinical environment over the longer term.”
The report by head of estates Alan Wilson went on to state: “There may be an opportunity to improve the board’s quality of estate generally by removing clinical care from the VHK tower block and utilising the space for an appropriate purpose.”
An occupied part of the new wing would have to be emptied to make way for the orthopaedic centre and plans are already being made for the decant.
Although the report said details of the decant could be provided on request, Mr McLean said it was not possible to go into further detail as discussions were at an early stage.
NHS Fife’s board yesterday approved the “direction of travel” outlined and agreed to pursue capital funding via due process.
