Trade union concerned as Paisley hospital ward closure remains under review
The Hospital at Home service will be treating 20 people per day by the end of the year, NHS chiefs have confirmed.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) revealed last year that it wanted to close ward 36 at the Royal Alexandra Hospital and reallocate the resources into the new Hospital at Home service.
In a statement to the Paisley Daily Express, the health board said the team had delivered hospital-grade care to 18 people in Renfrewshire since launching last month while the number of people within ward 36 continues to fall.
The 22-bed ward, which sits outwith the main hospital building – usually cares for older people on delayed discharge. NHSGGC said its future remains 'under review'.
But trade union representatives at the Paisley hospital say they are very concerned that the closure of ward 36 would force the frail and elderly into other acute medical settings.
A spokesperson for Unison told the Paisley Daily Express that busy medical wards are no place for the frail and sometimes confused patients who can reside in ward 36 for weeks at a time.
They said: 'We remain very concerned that should ward 36 close, there would be no suitable place for frail patients who may be waiting on a care home place, or our code 9 patients, whose guardianship and care lies with the courts. This can take many months to resolve.
'Added to that, should these patients be relocated to the main hospital building, they will be taking up beds desperately needed by very sick people.
'While Hospital at Home is a highly valuable service, it is no substitute to the caring and compassionate environment ward 36 provides some of our most vulnerable people. It should run in conjunction with ward 36, not instead of it.'
They added: 'We would also want a reassurance that the funding for Hospital at Home will be maintained at a sufficient level for the long term.'
NHSGGC first revealed in October 2024 that it wanted to launch Hospital at Home and put an initial closing date on ward 36 for March of this year.
A spokesperson for the health board said: 'The Hospital at Home test of change went live in Renfrewshire in June and will continue to be stepped up between now and the end of the year, when it is anticipated it will be providing between 15 and 20 'beds'.
'Ward 36 at the RAH will remain under review as Hospital at Home reduces the need for inpatient care, and as delayed discharges decrease. The ward remains open to admissions, with beds primarily used for patients experiencing delayed discharge.
'Renfrewshire HSCP continues to perform well in this area resulting in reduced demand for the beds in this ward.'
The news comes as the Scottish Government confirmed it was providing additional funding to expand Hospital at Home across the country.
Minsters say they want to create the equivalent of 2,000 'beds' in the community by the end of 2026, backing the programme with £85 million.
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