WHY HAS THE EDINGTON CLOSED, ON WHAT GROUNDS WAS THE DECISION TAKEN?

On 1st September the East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership (ELHSCP) announced plans to 'consolidate staffing at East Lothian Community Hospital' in the face of 'unprecedented levels of demand'. The pandemic is cited as having put pressure on staffing and services and has resulted in the redeployment of staff to Haddington with all existing services at the Edington ceasing to operate.

The hospital has been providing care in the community for nearly 111 years, nine beds assigned palliative and end-of-life care, general medical and step-down admissions (i.e. from a central hospital such as the Royal Infirmary or Western General). The hospital also ran a minor injuries unit, which offered out-of-hours support.

WHEN DID THE EDINGTON CLOSE?

The hospital closed on Monday 13th September 2021 for an initial period of three months. All interested parties (GP Partners in North Berwick and Gullane, North Berwick Community Council, North Berwick Health & Wellbeing Association and the Friends of the Edington) were notified of said closure on the 1st September, despite it being a statutory duty of the Partnership to allow a three-month period of consultation.

HOW LONG WILL IT REMAIN CLOSED FOR?

The Chair of the Integration Joint Board (IJB) Peter Murray has advised that the decision will be reviewed every three months, however over a year on, no guarantee has been made that the services provided before will be reinstated in part or in full.

WHO DECIDED THAT IT WOULD CLOSE?

The (ELHSCP), which is one of 31 Partnerships in Scotland formed after the creation of the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014. The Act required that local authorities and health boards work together to plan and deliver adult community health and social care services, including services for older people, preparing an integration scheme that would specify how said services are planned, delivered and monitored.

In East Lothian the scheme is led by the IJB. The IJB membership includes councillors and NHS non-executive directors, plus other members (who do not have voting rights) including professional representatives and community and staff stakeholders.

The chief officer, in East Lothian's case, Fiona Wilson, has a direct line of accountability to the chief executives at the health board and the local authority.

WHAT DOES THE CLOSURE MEAN FOR ACCESS TO LOCAL HEALTH SERVICES?

All seven in-patient beds* and the nursing and clinical care staff have been relocated to the East Lothian Community Hospital in Haddington. The Edington is therefore not able to take admissions. Similarly, the minor injuries unit is now closed.

* In normal times, the Edington Cottage Hospital had nine in-patient beds – seven allocated to North Berwick and two to Gullane GP practices.

In their stead, the ELHSCP has implemented 'expanded CTACS', physio services and appointment-only flu and COVID vaccination clinics. Let us be clear, this does in no way replace the vital services that the Edington has lost and is poor consolation for a diverse and ever-expanding population that has relied for over a century on the quality and locality of care that the Edington has provided.

WHAT ALTERNATIVE PROVISION IS IN PLACE?

There is none, meaning carers and families of in-patients need to travel to Haddington to see their loved ones and minor injuries can no longer be attended to in North Berwick.

THE EDINGTON ISN'T CLOSED, I'VE SEEN PEOPLE COMING AND GOING

The Edington remains open during daytime hours only for patients with appointments for physio treatment, CTAC (for example having stitches removed and dressings done) and flu/Covid vaccinations.

THE MINOR INJURIES UNIT IS STILL OPERATING THOUGH, ISN'T IT?

That is not the case. Anyone seeking medical attention for a minor injury must now travel to either the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People or the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

WHAT IS THE 'SAVE THE EDINGTON' CAMPAIGN SEEKING TO DO?

To overturn the decision to move services and reopen the hospital to full in-patient care with the full staff complement. To reinstate a proper minor injuries unit that gives residents both young and old peace of mind that they can be treated quickly and compassionately by experienced staff in a local setting at any time of day.

I'D LIKE TO SUPPORT THE CAMPAIGN, HOW DO I GO ABOUT IT?

Your opinion matters, every voice heard is every voice counted, so if you would like to express your concerns, please write to:

If you haven't already, please sign the petition on change.org or lodge a new one with East Lothian Council: https://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/info/210560/your_council/12262/petitions

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Some guidance on what to include in a letter is outlined below:

This move contradicts the aims of the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014, which promotes the community-based delivery of care to better people's lives. The legislation for integration in the Act sets out Principles that services should be integrated from the point of view of service-users, taking account of the different needs of service-users and protecting and improving the safety of service-users.

The Ministerial Strategic Group's Final Report (published February 2019) upheld the Government's key objectives that the services should be integrated around the needs of individuals, carers and families, prioritising the needs of the people they serve not the organisations through which they are delivered.

Health and Social Care Scotland advocates that 'Integration is all about improving people's lives, and the wellbeing of our system of health and social care as a whole benefits from better joined-up care, better anticipatory and preventative care and a greater emphasis on community-based care.'