A nurse of more than 40 years experience has added her voice to demands for Newton Stewart and Kirkcudbright hospitals to be reopened.
Shona Todd, who retired last year, wants the health board to bring both back into use urgently to improve health outcomes.
Transferring frail elderly patients to distant DGRI or Galloway Community Hospital for routine treatments, she claims, often leads to a decline in their condition.
Mrs Todd, from Carty, Newton Stewart, was a nurse practitioner at a GP practice for 18 years and a staff nurse in health visiting before she retired.
She told the News: “Holistic support for patients could be offered now if beds were opened up at our local hospitals to offer short term care – for example if someone at home or in a care home becomes unwell with a urine infection, is dehydrated, doesn’t respond to oral antibiotics and needs intravenous antibiotics.
“Currently these elderly patients will be transferred to Dumfries or Stranraer for treatment. Far away from their own environment, they get more confused and come back in a more debilitated state than when they left.
“Community teams are now based at the local hospital and are in an ideal position to care for these patients before, during and once back home.
“And that, surely, is a better patient outcome and a better result for all.”
Mrs Todd said local hospitals can provide a vital role in easing the burden on unpaid carers identified in Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership’s own plan as requiring priority support.
She said: “We need local support for these carers or they end up needing care for themselves because they are exhausted emotionally and physically.
“Local respite beds and back up for when inpatient care is needed is what Newton Stewart and Kirkcudbright hospitals can provide. Also, chronic diseases and preventative treatment can be offered at a local level to avoid admissions to DGRI and the Galloway.
“I can see the ideal model of people being nursed and cared for at home by the community teams – but this still leaves a massive big gap for patients and their families.
“Our community hospitals need to have beds opened up again.”
An NHS Dumfries and Galloway spokesperson said resources were focused on helping “many more people” to continue living in their own homes as independently as possible.
“Our biggest current challenge is not beds, but staffing, and recalling these teams from the community would increase this pressure, and see staff then serving even more people who have no further need for medical treatment in hospital and are being delayed from getting home.”
