Nurses at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy are continuing to work under “almost intolerable pressure” because of cuts to hospital beds and staff shortages, it has been claimed.
A staff nurse who contacted The Courier said the pressures were so severe many wards ran with a culture of “everyone for themselves” and “all hands on deck”.
The nurse said she believed the situation was “systematic of a system under extreme stress”.
She said turnover of good staff nurses was “high at the moment”. However, this, she said, merely put more pressure on the staff that were left.
She said the majority of nursing staff were dedicated professionals who wanted to do the best job they could.
However, she said pressure from further improvement targets had the potential to “tip the already stretched system over the edge” and she warned patient care could suffer.
She said: “I can’t believe I’m phoning The Courier about this but I believe the public have a right to know what conditions are like.
“Staff are under so much pressure it doesn’t take much for the system to get pushed to breaking point.
“Nurses are working flat out. But I question many of the management decisions that are made and sometimes it feels as if no one is listening.”
Mid Scotland and Fife Labour MSP Claire Baker said the concerns raised deserve to be fully addressed for the benefit of staff and patients at the Victoria.
“Previously, I gained assurances from the Scottish Government the NHS in Fife would be able to deal with the pressures ahead. These latest reports blow a hole in those assurances,” she said.
“Figures show under the SNP Government, the NHS in Fife has been underfunded by up to £12 million.
“This must be addressed so problems, such as staff and bed shortages, along with complex medical conditions, can be resolved.
“The people of Fife must have confidence in the Victoria and reports of nurses at breaking point is unacceptable.
“I will be raising this issue with the Health Secretary this week in Parliament and answers must be provided.”
Responding to the staff nurse concerns, NHS Fife executive director of nursing, Scott McLean, said: “It is true to say, in common with most Scottish boards, our acute admissions service is under greater pressure at this time of year.
“We have responded to this in a number of ways, including an increase in bed capacity on the VHK site.
“We are conscious during these times our staff are more at risk of feeling under pressure and we are supporting this in a number of ways, including senior and executive sessions in the clinical areas, seeking direct feedback from staff and patients.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said:“It is always concerning to read reports of patients and their families who have experienced care which does not meet the very high standards we expect of our NHS.
“While it is inappropriate to comment on individual cases, we expect health boards to take all complaints seriously, speaking with patients and their families to ensure the NHS learns from their experiences.”
They said ministers will seek further assurances around the quality of local care and how all health boards respond to complaints and feedback at their annual reviews later this year.