Dumfries and Galloway Council officials have stated that bringing four mothballed hospitals back to full operation is deemed “neither achievable nor desirable.” The council is also opposed to continuing to keep the facilities in Kirkcudbright, Newton Stewart, Moffat, and Thornhill closed. Instead, they argue that these sites should be integrated as a small part of broader reforms in the health and care services in Dumfries and Galloway.
The council is preparing to discuss its response to the recent phase of the Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership Right Care, Right Place consultation. According to a report for the upcoming full council meeting, members of the social work department are not in favour of any of the presented options. Rebecca Aldridge, senior manager for adult care, homeless, and housing options, highlighted the critical need for community beds to support step-up/step-down or reablement services and suggested exploring alternative models independent of current options.
Suggestions such as maintaining the current provision or introducing slight enhancements, closing the sites, or opening in-patient services with a mix of virtual and in-person outpatient services, were all met with reservations. The report emphasised the necessity to move towards a care model that prioritises reablement and short interventions to facilitate early discharge and independence for individuals. The idea of converting the sites into community health and social care hubs garnered some support, focusing on offering primary care, GP practices, and outpatient services without bed facilities.
Acknowledging the challenges of delayed discharge and social care needs, particularly with care homes managed by the private sector, Aldridge stressed the urgency of implementing significant changes across the health and care system to improve outcomes. The report advocates for alternative approaches that could provide local rehabilitation, respite, or targeted daycare services to enable individuals to regain function and independence sooner post-hospitalisation.
Ultimately, council officials assert that wider reforms beyond just reopening the mothballed hospitals are necessary. They propose a response to the consultation that advocates for retaining bed-based services within communities while offering a range of preventive and supportive services to reduce hospital admissions and provide respite and reablement options. The public consultation phase has concluded, and councillors are expected to finalise the council’s response, which will be submitted for consideration at an extraordinary meeting of the Integration Joint Board later this month.