Demands have been made for physiotherapy services to return to the Vale of Leven Hospital after the department was lost to the minor injuries unit.
Many residents haven’t been able to attend the Alexandria hospital for treatment after most of the musculoskeletal (MSK) physiotherapy department was taken over by the minor injuries unit (MIU) at the start of the pandemic.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) has apologised to anybody affected, stating that the space is still required by the MIU.
Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie is calling for the service to be remobilised after receiving a tongue-in-cheek card bearing an image of a cat in a cast and sling, lying on a bed reading a magazine.
It has the tagline ‘Why can’t I get my physio at Vale?’
Inside, it then goes onto explain that most of the MSK physiotherapy department was lost to the minor injuries unit at the start of the pandemic and advises that patients can’t be seen there now due to lack of space.
The correspondent then goes onto say that “someone” doesn’t want to give the space back and questions who this could be.
It ends with the statement “the patients at the Vale matter” and is signed “one annoyed cat”.
The Labour MSP said: “Although the card made me smile as I particularly like cats, it carries a very serious message.
“People who are in pain due to musculoskeletal problems should be able to be seen close to home.
“It is detrimental to their condition to have to travel further than is necessary. This service needs to be remobilised now. One in eight Scots are stuck waiting on a procedure and people need to be able to access local services again.
“I have brought this situation to the attention of chief operating officer, William Edwards, as the service needs to be reinstated.”
Explaining why the space was required, a spokesman for NHSGGC said: “One of the services affected by Covid has been MSK physiotherapy at the Vale of Leven Hospital, and we would like to apologise to anyone whose treatment has been affected by this.
“At the start of the pandemic, there was the immediate need for patients with suspected Covid-19 to be assessed and managed in a Specialist Assessment and Treatment Area (SATA).
“The optimal space for the SATA unit was identified as the hospital’s Minor Injuries Unit (MIU).
“In accordance with infection prevention and control guidance, patients presenting with no Covid symptoms needed to be kept separate from patients at SATA, so the MIU needed to be moved.
“The MSK physiotherapy department was identified as the appropriate space for this unit.”
He added that despite the reduction in Covid case numbers, the MSK physiotherapy space is still required for the MIU, adding: “We have created a temporary space for the MSK physiotherapy service, but there are inevitable restrictions on the level of service we can provide.
“Our service provision is kept under constant review and we continue to work to address this issue, however, we would like to reassure patients that those with the most urgent need will be seen quickest.”
