Cuts shock at Haylodge

Ally McGilvray 1606 - 1606 • Published 16 May 2008 12:00 0 Comments

FEARS have been voiced that more patients from Peeblesshire could be forced to travel outwith the area for treatment if the local hospital becomes a casualty of budget cuts.

NHS Borders this week revealed beds would be axed at the Hay Lodge at Peebles in a desperate bid to save £10million over the next three years - half of it within the next 12 months.

Front-line jobs will also be lost and a ward will be closed at the Borders General Hospital, near Melrose, as cash-strapped health chiefs battle to balance the books.

However, with a population boom in the Borders, opponents of the health board"s proposed cuts at the 50-bed satellite hospital at Peebles fear for the future of the lifeline service.

Speaking to the Peeblesshire News, John Swanson, vice-chairman of The Royal Burgh of Peebles and District Community Council, said: 'I think this is a move in the wrong direction.

'The Hay Lodge is invaluable to the local community and saves local residents travelling up to Edinburgh or through to Melrose for hospital treatment.

'People who go to hospital already have enough to worry about without this as well. The Borders is growing in population and yet they (the health board) are threatening to shut facilities down.'

He added: 'Health services in the area are already swamped and there is reportedly a nine-month waiting list to join a dentist. But all anybody seems to be interested in is building new houses without worrying about the infrastructure in place.'

The Hay Lodge Hospital, which supports acute hospital services, provides a range of local health services including acute medical care for the elderly and also terminal care, respite care and rehabilitation, as well as a 24-hour minor injuries service.

However, despite the cuts, the health board insists it will still be able to provide a 'first-class service'.

NHS Borders chief executive John Glennie said: 'We have a statutory duty to live within our financial allocation. In doing so, the public expect us to scrutinise all our expenditure to ensure that we offer the best possible services as efficiently as possible.

'We have therefore asked all our services, to bring forward plans that will achieve efficiency savings and inevitably, this does mean taking difficult decisions.

'We have put in place specific measures to ensure financial balance in 2008/09 and have asked staff to examine every area of their expenditure where they have choices, such as non-mandatory courses and conferences.'

He added: 'We have received a tight financial settlement in 2008/09 and we expect that the position will remain similarly challenging in the following two years.'

NHS Borders is receiving a general allocation of £159million from the Scottish Government for the current financial year, which began last month - a rise of 3.15 per cent or £4.9million.

Local MSP Jeremy Purvis said: 'These are real and devastating cuts to the health service.'

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This article appeared in Peeblesshire News 16 May 08

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