South Scotland Labour List MSP, Colin Smyth, has slammed the Scottish Government over NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s 'funding issues' which have led to periods of 100 per cent capacity levels at Ayr Hospital.
Speaking during a question session in the Scottish Parliament, Mr Smyth questioned Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care Michael Matheson on the issue.
Mr Smyth said: “The A&E target at Ayr Hospital has not been met for two years; delayed discharge in South Ayrshire has almost doubled in the past year; and NHS Ayrshire & Arran has reported capacity levels of 100 per cent at Ayr Hospital.
“Will the cabinet secretary accept that those cuts in bed numbers are nothing to do with a lack of demand or need, but are due to a lack of funding?
“NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s deficit is set to double to an eye-watering £56 million this year.”
Mr Matheson, though said core bed capacity in NHS Ayrshire & Arran "remains the same" and the surge capacity beds were put in place for the "purpose of the pandemic."
Speaking after the session, Colin Smyth added: “NHS Ayrshire & Arran announced that intensive care beds at Ayr Hospital would transfer to Crosshouse Hospital on an interim basis but this move would be made permanent.
“This is a significant service change, and without public consultation, which is a huge concern for the people of Ayrshire.
“Just months ago, then Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said these ICU beds would remain in place, but this has not been the case.
“Our NHS and our country can ill-afford the damage being done to it by this hopeless government.
“Our fantastic staff at NHS Ayrshire & Arran are doing all they can but are being pushed to their limits.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said NHS Ayrshire & Arran had "been clear" that the plans for ICU beds are "interim," in order to ensure "adequate consultant medical cover" and to "maintain the safety and sustainability" of local critical care services.
The spokesperson continued: “The planned closure of other beds relates to additional pandemic capacity across the system, and the Health Board has confirmed there are no plans to close core beds at either University Hospital Ayr or University Hospital Crosshouse.
“With the Board, we remain committed to the provision of high quality services on the University Hospital Ayr site, including the A&E Department and its support services.
“We will also continue to work with the Health Board to address financial and operational pressures across the system; to support recovery and the delivery of high quality, sustainable health and care services.
“NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s overall funding for 2023-24 is over £850.2 million and its resource budget has increased by 11.5 per cent in real terms between 2010-11 and 2023-24.”
Joanne Edwards, Director of Acute Services at NHS Ayrshire & Arran said: “NHS Ayrshire & Arran management and clinical leadership teams remain entirely focused on taking action to ease the pressures on our health and care system and support patient and staff safety.
“We have an ongoing approach to reducing additional beds that were opened across our entire hospital system to provide surge capacity and ensure compliance with pandemic guidance for infection control measures during the pandemic.
“Our core staff have worked incredibly hard to cover these additional wards, but our aim is to return to a safer and more sustainable way of working.
“The reduction of these additional beds are been safely planned across the whole system and not just at University Hospital Ayr (UHA). There is no plan to reduce numbers of core beds across the system.”
She added: “I can confirm that no permanent decision has been taken in relation to critical care services in Ayrshire. The change to the delivery of critical care services at University Hospital Ayr is interim and reactive to the workforce pressures in that service.
“The interim period will provide the opportunity to continue to maintain the service whilst exploring options for future sustainable service delivery. Once that work is complete, any future permanent decision around changes to critical cares services would be subject to engagement and consultation processes as required.”
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