Health chiefs say there's no plan to cut Ayr Hospital A&E

NHS Ayrshire & Arran's chief executive Claire Burden told the board's annual review that they were completely committed to the provision of “high quality services” at the site - “including the A&E department.”

Back in March, NHS Ayrshire & Arran confirmed that intensive care beds at University Hospital Ayr would be transferred to Crosshouse for operational reasons.

Bosses said the move was vital to head off a future “emergency staffing crisis”. 

Since then rumours - some from senior hospital sources - claimed the A&E unit at Ayr was at risk.

Insiders alleged it was part of a long term strategy, with a view to closing Ayr Hospital altogether.

There have been long term plans for a new hospital to be constructed elsewhere in Ayrshire.

However Ms Burden told the review this week that there were no plans in place for such a move "in the forseeable future".

The meeting, held at University Hospital Ayr, was attended by Maree Todd MSP, minister for social care, mental wellbeing and sport, as well as Caroline Lamb, Chief Executive of NHS Scotland.

The board was told that both the Scottish Government and NHS Ayrshire & Arran were "completely committed" to the provision of high quality service at the Ayr site, including the A&E department and support services.

Chief Executive Claire Burden (Image: Newsquest)

Ms Burden said: "You will have heard in the press that we are constantly challenged with concerns that Ayr Hospital is being wound down; that areas of it are closing.

"We can categorically confirm there are no plans to do that.

“We need both our hospitals and we need all of our estate with the current demand for services.

"And our only balancing metric at the moment is safety and maintaining two hospital sites. Ensuring their safety is the point of our discussions with our clinical teams.”

"We require critical care at both hospitals and our clinical care leadership team are working together to see how we manage the level of service at both sites.

"The highest levels of care, level 3, will be provided at Crosshouse Hospital. If you have organ failure or require mechanical ventilation for an extended period of time, the best and most consistent care will be at Crosshouse."

Ms Birden insisted: "Please be assured we need both hospitals. We will do everything we can to balance the services across both sites because we need both sites. 

"We need all the theatres that we have got and full recruitment is important.

"At the moment, contingencies need to be put in place to ensure that people are safe. If you require specialist intervention you might need to go to Crosshouse.

"But there are no plans to withdraw specialist services from Ayr Hospital.

"We need both hospitals and there are no plans to build something different in the foreseeable future."

Ms Todd told the review: “Please be absolutely assured that both the Scottish Government and NHS Ayrshire & Arran are completely committed to the provision of high quality services at Ayr Hospital site, including the A&E department and its support services.”

NHS Ayrshire and Arran chiefs also assured South of Scotland Conservative MSP Sharon Dowey MSP that Ayr Hospital’s A&E department would not close overnight this winter.

Ms Dowey said: “I was extremely concerned when I heard from medical professionals that they feared opening hours at the Ayr Hospital A&E department may be reduced.

“I immediately wrote to the health board seeking answers because I know local hospital services are already under significant pressure.

“I’m pleased that they have now provided assurances there are no plans to reduce the opening hours of A&E services.  

“However, I am seeking a further meeting to discuss the concerns of local NHS staff in detail and to confirm that services will not be at risk in the future.

“If anyone has anything they would like me to raise with NHS Ayrshire and Arran, please feel free to get in touch.”