A radical approach is being proposed to create more care beds in the community.
And it could pave the way for the long-awaited reopening of Kirkcudbright Hospital.
The region’s integrated joint board will today discuss a proposal that care home and cottage hospital beds should no longer be treated separately.
Instead, following the Right Care, Right Place: Intermediate Care review, it is recommended a “flexible” bed model is introduced which would see “care and support changed around the bed rather than the person needing to move from one bed to another, or from one site to another”.
This would free up care home beds kept back when a resident is in a community hospital, while suggestions to develop health and social care hubs are also on the table.
One option for the Stewartry includes “retain and repurpose Kirkcudbright Hospital” – which has been shut since 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Save Kirkcudbright Hospital Action Group has been pushing for the facility to be reopened.
Spokesman Geoff Dean said: “We have had the opportunity to see the report to the joint integrated board about the engagement and feel it is very wide ranging without specific detail.
“It would appear, however, that local people’s concerns have certainly been heard, which we very much welcome, and hope that this gives us a basis to make progress with the aim to ensure Kirkcudbright Hospital is retained and developed as an integrated local hub delivering a wide range of care and health services in line with the philosophy of right care, right place and informed by good practice and excellent service design.”
Figures in the report reveal there are currently 1,200 beds in use across Dumfries and Galloway’s care homes and community hospitals.
Under the existing approach of these being treated separately, as well as demand for palliative care, it is claimed 1,133 beds are currently needed across the region.
Due to an ageing population and more people suffering from ill health, it is estimated demand will peak at 1,514 in 2046.
However, a flexible bed model would free up the 19 beds currently being held while people are in community hospitals, meaning current demand drops to 1,114 beds.
The peak would again be in 2046 but this time only 1,489 beds would be needed.
The report states that continuing with the current model will cost £52.1 million by 2036.
However, splitting between care home and extra care housing would see that drop to £47.5 million.
The report draws up a range of options “to stimulate discussion with local communities” for each home teams district within Dumfries and Galloway, including creating health and social care hubs.
And it makes clear “these suggested options do not in any way indicate a commitment” to any particular way forward.
Using the flexible beds approach, it is estimated 168 beds would be needed in the Stewartry now – reaching a peak of 225 in 2046.
But it is claimed there are currently 242 beds across Castle Douglas hospital and the area’s care homes.
Proposed options for the next 12 months include Kirkcudbright Hospital, a care home in Kirkcudbright, and using an additional nine beds within a care home in Castle Douglas.
Medium term – over the next five years – Kirkcudbright Hospital could be retained and repurposed with an expanded GP practice, the existing renal unit and base for home teams and a “small number of intermediate care beds”.
Adding care home capacity and care housing to service both the Stewartry and Dumfries home teams is also on the table.
Mr Dean said: “The group have been offered the chance to be involved in the planning of the next stage of the consultation process and will definitely pursue the opportunity and are grateful that the engagement team have listened to the issues that we raised on behalf of Kirkcudbright and local communities about the process thus far.”
