A formal consultation on the future of community bed care provision will start next week.
The region’s health and social care partnership is looking at introducing a “flexible” bed model and creating health and social care hubs across the region.
It comes off the back of a review of community bed provision called Right Care, Right Place: Intermediate Care.
The partnership’s director of strategic planning, David Rowland, below, said: “Bed-based intermediate care takes in everything from care homes to cottage hospitals, extra care housing and short breaks providing respite, and recognises the importance of care and support at home.
“We need to develop approaches aimed at best meeting the healthcare needs of the local population where these cannot be met at home but do not require the services of a district general hospital.
“It’s an area set to play an important role within our region over coming years, and so it has been very important to get people’s input to help inform and shape our approaches.”
Last month, the health and social care partnership’s integrated joint board agreed to the consultation exercise.
A number of options will be presented “to stimulate discussion with local communities”, although these are not set in stone.
One option could see the reopening of Kirkcudbright Hospital, which has been mothballed since 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Elsewhere in the region, Thornhill and Moffat hospitals could become health and social care hubs with a “small number of intermediate care beds”.
Each bed would have a set use but beds in the same facility might not all serve the same purpose.
Mr Rowland added: “What we are talking about is using the total capacity more flexibly. With care homes, for example, it’s the idea that - as beds become available or extra beds are added by care home owners - a small number could be allocated for palliative care, step up or step down care, but while ensuring residential need is being properly met.
“We are preparing to take these proposals for public consultation, along with the modelling we will be basing our planning around. We have also identified facilities which either currently contribute to the intermediate care bed-base right now or which could over coming years, and which we want to discuss with the local communities.”
The public consultation kicks off on April 14 and will run until July 7.
Public events include: April 21, virtual, April 3pm to 7pm; April 27; Castle Douglas Town Hall, 3pm to 7pm; May 3, St Ninian’s Centre, Isle of Whithorn, noon to 2pm; May 3, Whithorn New Town Hall, 3pm to 6pm; May 29, Kirkcudbright Parish Church, 3pm to 7pm; June 6, McMillan Hall, Newton Stewart, 3pm to 7pm; June 9, Dalbeattie Town Hall, 3pm to 7pm.
For further details on the consultation, visit www.dghscp.co.uk/rcrp-consultation
