As many as 24 beds from Station 10 at Ayr Hospital are on the chopping block.
Ayrshire Live has learned that NHS Ayrshire & Arran are taking the beds out of the ward because they plan to restore ‘pre-covid’ capacity at the site.
The move today has been met with display, given current waiting time figures for elective procedures in the NHS, increased delayed discharge figures - and continued pressure on all NHS services.
It also comes on the back of last week’s news that Ayr University Hospital is braced to lose all three of its level 3 ICU beds as part of a shake-up.
The level 3 ICU beds will transfer over to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock.
Some critics think the move is part of a plan to ‘erode the services’ at Ayr.
One source told Ayrshire Live: “Staff from Station 10 in Ayr Hospital have been informed they are closing the 24-bed ward.
“In times of bed crisis, the NHS are closing another fully functioning ward!”
In a statement, Joanne Edwards, Director of Acute Services at NHS Ayrshire & Arran said today’s development “was not linked” to the transfer of ICU beds to Crosshouse.
She didn’t disclose how many beds in Station 10 faced the axe.
She said: “NHS Ayrshire & Arran has an ongoing approach to reducing beds that were opened to provide additional capacity during the pandemic.
“These additional beds were opened across our hospital system and so the reduction in beds will be safely planned across the system and not just at University Hospital Ayr.
“As we progress with the reduction, staff currently working in those areas will be offered roles in other wards.
“We have high vacancies across the system and so there will be no detriment to staff.
“These bed closures are not linked to the interim decision to move level 3 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds to University Hospital Crosshouse.”
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