By Liz Perkins
Lives could be placed at risk if plans go ahead to axe a Swansea minor casualty unit in favour of a 24-hour GP-led service, angry staff have warned.
They say they have major concerns over the shake-up at Singleton Hospital, which bosses have told them could take place as early as September.
But hospital bosses insist patients are their top priority, and they are working hard to offer a safe service at the site, in the wake of problems in recruiting doctors.
One Singleton health worker said trust chiefs were keeping the public in the dark over the controversial plan to downgrade the service because of fears it would be opposed.
She said: “We have been told the closure of Singleton’s minor casualty unit is imminent – it may be in September or October.
“We have been told it’s going to become a GP-led service 24 hours a day.
“We can stay and work with the GPs if we want at Singleton, but we have all been offered jobs in Morriston Hospital.
“If we do not want to go to Morriston, we could be redeployed anywhere in the trust – we are all gutted.”
The worker also accused Calum Campbell, assistant chief executive (west) of ABM University NHS Trust, of keeping the public in dark over the plans, following battles faced by the trust over proposals for Fairwood Hospital and ward one at Hill House.
And the health worker issued a warning that extra patients at Morriston Hospital would have an impact on ambulance waiting times.
Bosses at Swansea Local Health Board (LHB) have already said an urgent care centre will remain in place at Singleton Hospital, which sees 38,000 patients every year.
But the health worker says the unit is now regularly closed overnight and at weekends, after a doctor left and was not replaced.
The staffing problem was said to relate to a Wales-wide shortage of locum doctors to cover emergency units.
But the Assembly previously said the problem in attracting doctors was unique to Singleton Hospital.
Staff have now claimed the service is being deliberately run down to ensure the changes go ahead.
Mr Campbell said: “The safety of our patients is the trust’s first priority.
“We are working hard to determine the safest, most effective and most sustainable way of managing the service at Singleton, which is experiencing major problems recruiting junior and middle-grade doctors.
“This issue has been well documented in recent months and is a national problem, with Singleton’s minor injuries casualty unit being particularly badly affected.
“As a result, we are regularly left with no choice but to close the unit at night, because no doctor is available, and that situation cannot be allowed to continue indefinitely.
“We are committed to providing a service at Singleton, and we are continuing to work with other partner agencies as thoroughly and quickly as possible to find a solution.
“We are talking to local GPs and the LHB about how they could support us, and one option being looked at is working with the GPs to provide a safe, effective and regular service at Singleton.
“There are currently no set timescales for completing this piece of work, but whichever option is chosen, it will be more expensive to provide than the current service – so this is not about saving money, but is about getting the best service we can.”
(c) 2008 South Wales Evening Post. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.
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