Future developments at East Ayrshire Community Hospital (03/08/2010)
NHS Ayrshire & Arran has approved in principle plans for a £3 million redevelopment of East Ayrshire Community Hospital. The development will mean that Cumnock’s two dental practices will be able to relocate to the hospital and expand, along with the dental service from Cumnock Health Centre.
If the plans receive final approval from NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s Finance Committee in September, the new Dental Centre will be created in some of the space currently allocated to under-used Elderly Mental Health and Frail Elderly inpatient accommodation. The lowering use of beds in the Frail Elderly and Elderly Mental Health (EMH) wards means that the hospital has more inpatient beds than we need to meet current and future needs. <.p>Representatives from dental services, Elderly Mental Health and Frail Elderly services have been in detailed discussions for a number of months, resulting in the drafting of some draft layouts for new accommodation for all the services. The proposals include retaining inpatient services for frail elderly and mental health patients in redesigned clinical areas.
Liz Moore, Health Care Director – Integrated Care and Emergency Services, explained: “These proposals reflect the changing pattern of care for these patients, and the fact that more patients are being successfully cared for at home or in a more appropriate non-hospital environment.
“We will now carry out further detailed planning, including more consultation with our staff and partners. As part of our planning to reduce the number of beds we will review staffing levels in Elderly Mental Health and Frail Elderly services to ensure that our patients continue to receive high quality, safe and secure care.
“NHS Ayrshire & Arran has a rigorous policy in place to ensure that any members of staff who do need to be redeployed to other roles are treated fairly and with dignity. People’s individual circumstances and preferences will be taken into account as part of that process. So everybody currently working in these services will still have a job after these changes.”
The benefits to the community will include additional dental surgeries, state-of-the-art accommodation, an oral health room for Child Smile programme and additional specialist equipment to treat more local people locally.
The changes are part of NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s longer term strategic plans to make the best possible use of community hospitals, putting them at the centre of health care for local communities. A further development will see the hospital take an exciting new approach to community rehabilitation from next month. Starting on Monday 30 August the hospital will be the single point of referral for GPs and our co-ordinated health and social care teams.
Liz Moore added: “By providing a single point of referral for all health and social care teams, we will not only be meeting more of the needs of the local community, we will also be in a better position to help people get more effective care in their own homes, prevent avoidable admissions, be discharged promptly and safely from hospital and over-all improve links between hospital and community services.”
Dr David Richardson, local GP and clinical lead for the hospital, added: "As one of many clinicians who have been involved in reshaping services in the hospital, I am convinced that East Ayrshire Community Hospital has a pivotal role to play in improving services for local people. Looking ahead, I am also enthusiastic about the hospital`s potential to provide really co-ordinated health and social care for people - both in their own communities, and when they have to come into hospital."
Related to the following partners:
NHS Ayrshire & Arran
