Little Cairnie Hospital in Arbroath looks to be facing the death knell after the departure of its last two patients.
Just weeks after NHS Tayside said no decision had been taken to close the hospital, the health board confirmed that staff have now been redeployed elsewhere in Angus.
The handling of the Little Cairnie situation since fears over its future reemerged a few weeks’ ago has been described as “shameful” by Arbroath councillor David Fairweather, who claimed the community was “kept in the dark” on the issue.
Little Cairnie’s role came back into the spotlight earlier this month after NHS Tayside’s announcement of a series of engagement events seeking the public’s view on the future delivery of care for older people in south Angus.
The hospital has gone from four wards to one ward with 12 beds and its remaining two patients are understood to have been discharged on Tuesday.
Works are due to get under way at Arbroath Infirmary in April on planned palliative care improvements and a new enhanced community support model of care will begin within weeks, said NHS Tayside.
Mr Fairweather said the hiatus was an unacceptable byproduct of the Little Cairnie situation.
NHS Tayside medical director Dr Andrew Russell said: “As we stated earlier this month, we know we must change the way in which care is delivered for older people in our communities and in our hospitals.
“Currently, there are no inpatients in Little Cairnie and no one waiting to be admitted.
“Therefore, as the public would expect, we have redeployed staff from Little Cairnie into the Angus locality in line with the clinical need and care requirements of our patients.
“This is part of the day-to-day management of all our units across Tayside to ensure person-centred, safe and effective care for everyone.
“The Little Cairnie site remains open as it accommodates other services which are operating as normal.”
Mr Fairweather said: “I feel that the local community and staff have been kept totally in the dark on this and would ask where the transparency has been.”
He said promised meetings with elected members had not taken place.
“We were told this wouldn’t happen until March, the promised places are still not ready and I would think that any prospect of Little Cairnie reopening while care plans are put in place is gone,” he said.
“I understand that a consultation period has to be carried out over plans to close a hospital but with the genuine concern and public interest there has been on this I’d also question why NHS Tayside didn’t feel it appropriate to let people know as soon as possible that the last patients had left the hospital and what that meant for the staff and Little Cairnie.
“This whole thing has been a smoke and mirrors operation that has shown one foot does not know where the other is going and gives me grave concern as to how the NHS is being run.
“If they really thought just a couple of weeks ago that the public would believe them when they said no decision had been taken to close the hospital then they are having a laugh.
“This hospital is in my ward, I have constituents who have been concerned by this whole matter and the public are being treated as fools as far as I’m concerned.
“This is a hospital in the biggest burgh in Angus and it would seem unfair that NHS Tayside are taking something away from that burgh.”
Dr Russell said the intention was to get the new community model up-and-running in March.
“We have already outlined the exciting plans we have for the care of older people in our communities in south Angus,” he said.
“This includes the introduction of enhanced community support, a new community-based model of care for the south Angus locality which involves a variety of professionals including GPs, district nurses, occupational therapists and physiotherapists, pharmacists, specialist hospital doctors and social care staff working together as a single team to support individual patients.
“The team aims to provide care and support in the patient’s own home and, where possible, avoid hospital admission.
“Work is continuing to build the team of medical professionals to support this new model for south Angus.
“A GP is now set to join the team and it is our intention to get the new community model up-and-running in March.
“We are continuing with our staff engagement events and the South Angus Public Participation Group is also up-and-running.”
NHS Tayside assurances were also previously given over palliative care provision in the south Angus area.
In partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support, the health authority is funding a range of improvements to enhance palliative care services across Angus.
Arbroath Infirmary is in line for three palliative care bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, a new palliative day assessment and treatment facility including two new consultation and treatment rooms, a patient lounge, quiet room and reception area.