Pressure is mounting on NHS Highland to give locals in Sutherland answers about the future of their hospital.
Bonar Bridge residents are concerned about about the lack of mental health provisions at Migdale Hospital.
It comes after the Strathy ward, one of two units at the hospital, was reconfigured last year to create further capacity for general admissions as a result of the pandemic.
MSP Rhona Grant has now written to chief executive Pam Dudek asking her to talk to residents about their concerns regarding the loss of that mental health support.
The Labour MSP has previously criticised the health board for its “lack of transparency” about changes to local facilities.
Ease public concerns
“This just rumbles on and on and it’s about time NHS Highland spoke directly to community representatives who are obviously still worried about the situation at Migdale,” said Mrs Grant.
“When this hospital opened much was made of research into dementia and official visits to other hospitals providing dementia care to build on good practice.
“I certainly hope that those aspirations to provide that sort of service in a rural area have not gone and that coronavirus is not being used as cover for mental health staff and resources to be diverted by the back door.”
History of the Strathy Ward
When the doors of the Sutherland hospital opened in 2011, the facility had 22 beds and two units.
The Strathy ward was earmarked for older people with mental health problems, while the other offered a range of in-patient services, such as palliative care, general medicine and rehabilitation services.
However, last year the ward was adapted for the admission of general patients to ease capacity crisis generated by the pandemic.
NHS Highland has previously said mental health provision has been “consolidated” within New Craigs Hospital in Inverness, and said today that remains the case.
Staffing worries at the Sutherland facility
It is not the first time the Strathy ward has been closed due to pressures elsewhere within the health board.
In 2019, the mental health ward was closed to new admissions due to staff being off sick and vacancies going unfilled.
Mrs Grant found nearly five nursing posts remained vacant on the Strathy Ward during this time, leading to temporary closures and disruption.
An NHS Highland spokesman said: “Like many other wards across Highland, Strathy Ward was changed during the mobilisation of services to create capacity to respond to Covid-19.
“This service is being provided from New Craigs Hospital during the pandemic period.
“The situation remains the same but please be assured that NHS Highland has this and all of our responses to the pandemic under continual review in line with our remobilisation planning.
“Any decision in relation to the provision of services within the Strathy Ward will be done in consultation with the local communities that it serves.”