Leanchoil closed for good

LEANCHOIL Hospital is officially closed for good.

A new integrated model of health and social care for the Forres locality has been backed by the Moray Integration Joint Board (IJB).

Chief officer of Health and Social Care Moray, Pam Gowans, confirmed the IJB will liaise with the NHS Grampian Board - which owns the Leanchoil site - to develop options to ensure the building and site are "most effectively utilised for the benefit of the local community".

She said: "We have been on a bit of a journey in terms of testing ways of working and trying to push forward with integration at the point of delivery.

"We are not there yet but we are able to evidence some very good beginnings in terms of a sustainable model and we are seeking permission to continue with that and pick up the pace of change.”

IJB members heard yesterday (Thursday, November 29) how caring for people at home and close to home through improved joint working by staff from a range of disciplines is positively impacting on patients and their families, by promoting independence, preventing avoidable crisis and inappropriate admission to hospital and supporting end of life care.

The board approved continued funding for the test site in the Varis Court development in the town that explores an alternative option for the provision of in-patient health care.

They also approved the commissioning of local nursing home beds - also for the next 12 months - to serve as a step-down setting for patients to continue their recovery and reablement on discharge from hospital.

A public meeting held in Forres on Tuesday night to give an update on the redesign of health and social care services was attended by around 40 people.

They were told that, as there was no means to invest in the Leanchoil building, leaving a small unit on a derelict site which could not be safely staffed, the recommendation to the IJB was for the decommissioning and permanent closure of services.

The nursing staff from Leanchoil have chosen to move across to become part of the Forres Neighbourhood Care Team which supports people at home and in the Varis Court augmented care units.

The board heard that while there was some anxiety in the community, there was also a feeling that the way forward was the development of an alternative suite of bed based options as part of a wider system of care and support which is more flexible to people’s changing needs.

Health and Social Care Moray will continue to engage with the community as the redesign of services progresses.

Read the full story, including reaction, in next week's print edition of the Gazette.