Staffing crisis closes hospital

Glencoe is to lose its local hospital temporarily A Highland hospital is to close temporarily because it does not have enough staff. Ten patients are to be transferred from Glencoe Hospital to the Belhaven Ward at Belford Hospital in Fort William.

Health bosses said the problems at Glencoe underlined wider staffing difficulties in the area.

They said the temporary closure of the hospital in Ballachulish would take effect from the end of March and was in the interest of patient safety.

Gill McVicar, general manager of Mid Highland Community Health Partnership which is responsible for the safe running of hospitals in the area, said there were difficulties in recruiting staff.

She said: “Over the last few months we have been experiencing extreme staffing difficulties.

“Now that has become a vacancies situation where we haven’t been able to recruit and that’s compounded by our sickness level.

“In the next month there are 41 shifts that we are not able to cover at the moment, although we are still trying to get agency and relief staff to cover.

“We have looked elsewhere, particularly in the Fort William area, for some support but the Belhaven Ward in Fort William is already suffering from a staffing crisis and there are 21 qualified nursing posts vacant across the Lochaber area.

“So we really are in a crisis situation and we need to be conscious of the safety of our patients and of our staff.”

Dr Morag Calder, who has medical responsibility for Glencoe, added: “I have been consulted and believe that the decision taken is the only safe option. “Patient care and clinical safety is and always will be our first priority.”

Elaine Lang, NHS Highland clinical co-ordinator said: “The transfer will take place with the absolute minimum disruption to patients, but we acknowledge how distressing this will be to them and to their families.”

Glencoe councillor Drew McFarlane Slack was concerned that a “six month” temporary closure could become permanent.

He said: “It has been referred to by Highland health board this is a temporary closure and we have to take them on their word on that.

“But if this were to turn into something more permanent then I would expect that the health service would fund a method of building new resources.

“That would be of a enough standard to follow the Care Commission standards in the locality to take up the slack that is created by the closure of Glencoe hospital.”