‘Secretive’ way elderely ward closed early slammed

A Dundee pensioners’ leader today slammed a “secretive” decision to close ahead of schedule a city hospital ward that cares for elderly people (writes Marjory Inglis, medical reporter).

Jim Elder, executive member of the Dundee Pensioners’ Forum, said his organisation was not informed Ward 6 at Royal Victoria Hospital had now closed.

NHS Tayside confirmed the closure on Monday afternoon only after a nurse at the hospital contacted the Evening Telegraph with the news, claiming the closure was “hurried”.

She claimed some staff still don’t know to where they are being moved. NHS Tayside says only one member of staff has still to be found an alternative post.

She said the staff had been expecting the ward to close in August, but, towards the end of last week, they were told it was closing at 4pm on Monday and the elderly patients were being transferred elsewhere.

NHS Tayside was forced to admit it planned to close the ward this summer after a doctor made the intention public.

But the health authority has always claimed the closure was part of planned changes that would improve in patient care and involve more people being cared for in the community rather than in hospital.

In a meeting with NHS Tayside’s deputy chief executive Gerry Marr back in May, Mr Elder and forum colleague pensioners’ John McAllion, were told a new system of “virtual wards” would mean older people would be visited in their own homes by physiotherapists and other health and social care staff to get treatment and the help they need to keep them out of hospital.

But senior doctors involved in care of the elderly, including renowned specialist Dr Marion McMurdo, criticised the decision to close Ward 6 and impose an untested alternative.

Their leaked letter to health bosses, published in the Evening Telegraph a few weeks ago, predicted the closure would be “to the serious detriment” of elderly people.

Mr Elder said the pensioners’ forum was concerned that cuts to health and social care budgets, and the loss of jobs in these areas, made it difficult to see how care in the community could work.

“The biggest fear is that the funding is not going to be there,” he said.

“Where are you going to get all the physiotherapists and staff in the community to look after people who are housebound? You just can’t see it with all the cutbacks.”

Mr Elder said the plans for virtual wards and enhanced care in the community had not been tested — “Why not run a wee pilot scheme first and see how it goes before you close the ward down,” he said. “If it works, you put the new system in place. It makes you think it’s not about improving services, but is simply a cost cutting exercise.

“They are not coming clean. If it was a great idea they would be up front and saying there is funding and here is what we are going to do with it. Everything seems to be in secret.”

A spokeswoman for NHS Tayside said today, “We have had a planned, phased closure as patients were discharged or transferred. Staff have now been offered new posts and most will move this week. We have one member of staff who is still looking for a suitable alternative post.”

NHS Tayside has confirmed previously that it is to cut around 500 posts across the organisation this year in a bid to make savings.