A rallying cry has been issued ahead of the latest consultation event on the future of the region’s community care.
Officials from Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership (DGHSCP) will be in Kirkcudbright on Monday as they look at a range of options for intermediate care.
One proposal being considered is to repurpose Kirkcudbright Hospital – mothballed since 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic – to feature an expanded GP practice, the existing renal unit and base for home teams and a “small number of intermediate care beds”.
Earlier this year, there was a huge turnout in the town when the partnership held its initial Right Care, Right place consultation and members of Save Kirkcudbright Hospital Action Group (SKHAG) are hoping for another big show of support next week.
They are urging as many people as possible to go to the parish church hall between 3pm and 7pm to take part in the event.
Spokesman Geoff Dean said: “This second session will, we understand, incorporate the experience and views from that session as they relate to intermediate care, and offer more concrete proposals that can be considered and commented on.
“The DGHSCP has produced a document entitled ‘The Stewartry Easy Read’, which explains the process and the potential way forward. Bed based intermediate care is the main theme of the document, including palliative care and end-of-life care, step up and step down care (to and from the main two hospitals) and respite care.
“Cottage hospitals feature in many of the options, which of course the action group is pleased about. However, services previously provided by Kirkcudbright Hospital unrelated to intermediate care, particularly the minor injuries unit, are not part of this consultation.
“The action group does not want to purely recreate what the hospital provided in former times, but we have two key additions to the scope of the work being carried out for intermediate care provision.
“We would like to see that Right Care, Right Place means that a range of medical services, as far as possible to reflect the current and future needs of residents in Kirkcudbright and surrounding communities such as Gatehouse, Borgue and Twynholm, and the demands caused by distributed rural living, are provided locally.
“We campaign for a firm proposal by DGHSCP to again provide local hospital services in a much shorter timeframe than would be possible through the lengthy intermediate care consultation period.”
Monday’s event will take place in the parish church hall between 3pm and 7pm. People can also take part by visiting http://dghscp.co.uk/rcrp-consultation/, emailing dg.scsp@nhs.scot or calling 01387 272734.
Mr Dean added: “While SKHAG is determined that local people air their views through these channels, the group will still meet with managers and decision makers to support the views of residents and try to get the hospital reopened and functional as soon as is practicable.
“The group are grateful to all who are supporting this action in the local area.”
The health and social care partnership has previously said the options being presented were designed “to stimulate discussion with local communities” and “do not in any way indicate a commitment” to a way forward.
