CRAIG Hoy, a Conservative MSP for South Scotland, has raised his concerns about suggestions that NHS Lothian might seek to use a phased approach and a reprovisioning review to restrict or permanently close services at the Edington cottage hospital.
Amid ongoing community fears about the possibility of the hospital’s in-patient beds being closed permanently, Hoy said the local campaign group must press for the full restoration of the services which were available before the Covid pandemic.
This comes following a meeting of NHS Lothian’s Gold Command group, who have decided to keep the Edington closed for another month. The closure of Edington Cottage Hospital was announced by NHS Lothian on 1 September 2021 due to staffing constraints at other facilities.
This plan saw the six inpatient beds, and the staff who support them temporarily relocated from the Edington Cottage Hospital to the East Lothian Community Hospital in Haddington.
Commenting on the situation, Mr Hoy said: “NHS Lothian’s decision to close the Edington for a further month will mean that by the time of the next review, the hospital will have been ‘temporarily’ closed for a total of 7 months.
“I continue to be frustrated at the health board’s refusal to consult fully on the closure of Edington Cottage Hospital and its failure to properly answer Freedom of Information requests. Further to this, the health board are now hinting at plans for a phased reopening of the hospital which is very worrying. The hospital is also set to be part of a wider reprovisioning exercise which could lead to services at the hospital being relocated to other hospitals or care facilities.
“I am under no illusion that the future of the Edington is still not secure, particularly with NHS Lothian’s Gold Command group scoring the Edington down on its criteria for reopening.
“I will continue to do what I can to support the Friends of the Edington Hospital and the Edington Steering Group and will be pressing for answers from Scotland’s Health Secretary, Humza Yousaf, at the Scottish Parliament and through parliamentary questions and Freedom of Information Requests.”
Mr Hoy previously organised a survey of local residents in the North Berwick area which received 1,929 responses, with 97% of the survey’s respondents opposing Edington Cottage Hospital’s continued closure.
Despite this, NHS Lothian’s Gold Command Group have recently announced the criteria for the Edington’s reopening to be considered.
The criteria set out are whether the return of bed capacity to Edington Hospital at this time will help:
- The available bed base to NHS Lothian.
- The available bed base for East Lothian.
- Core staffing position across East Lothian.
In a briefing this week, the Gold Command Group have suggested that the reopening of the Edington will negatively impact all three criteria, meaning no change to their position is likely.
