Husband hits out at decision to close half of hospital unit's beds

A CARER with an incurable condition fears his wife could be forced into permanent residential care if a “life-changing” specialist Ross-shire unit closes.

Brian Stuart has added his voice to a growing chorus of dissent over NHS Highland’s decision to again commandeer half the beds in the Highland Rheumatology Unit to ease winter pressures.

Concerns over the knock-on impact on patients from across the Highlands who rely on the Dingwall-based HRU grew this week with calls for a U-turn.

Mr Stuart (46), of Muir of Ord, has suffered with the debilitating condition ankylosing spondylitis for over 20 years. He is also a carer for his wife, Susan (46) and fears that without the “life-changing” input of specialists at the HRU, he could be forced to give up that role, essentially forcing her into a care home.

He said: “As someone who relies on this unit, I feel shock, anger and dismay at this decision which has been made without any consultation with those whom this decision affects.”

He said that after years of occasional one-off appointments with rheumatologists and physiotherapists, he was admitted to the unit after a bad flare-up two years ago. He said: “The two weeks as an inpatient helped my acute pain but also helped me deal with the other mental and physical difficulties that come with having a lifelong, incurable rheumatic disease.

“Since my first admission I have had a further two spells as an inpatient when my disease has flared up. These have helped me get back to a point where I can manage to do daily tasks. This is extremely important for me as I am also the main carer for my disabled wife who requires round-the-clock care.

“Without the rehabilitation and treatment from all at the HRU I would have been unable to carry on caring for my wife and she would have had to go into permanent residential care. The above points out my own personal situation, during my admissions there were another nine patients receiving treatment to enable them to cope with living with rheumatic conditions.

“Without the HRU their conditions would be much worse. To deny five patients a week this treatment, at a time of year when they are likely to be suffering more than usual, is disgraceful in my opinion and goes against everything the NHS should stand for.”

He believes it is “ludicrous” to expose patients with reduced immune systems to general ward patients. He said: “Having a cold or such like has a much greater impact on people with chronic rheumatic disease.”

He added: “I strongly hope that this decision to deny a huge number of people the treatment they require will be looked at and reversed.”

NHS Highland said its move is part of a region-wide response to increased pressure on services in winter. It says the measure will ensure patient safety for the anticipated numbers of elderly admissions and that increased community hospital capacity will be required to meet demand.

It said: “This is a temporary measure and the unit will revert to the previous service configuration as scheduled in early spring 2019. NHS Highland does not routinely consult as we manage resources to meet demand fluctuations across services and ensure patient safety within our services. We prioritise emergency flows over elected and planned activity if we see clinical services coming under increased pressure.”

It said the move last year was successful and that it would rearrange clinical cover to provide greater allied healthcare professional support to the service.

It said specialist physiotherapists, occupational therapists and specialist nurses are supporting rheumatology patients both in the hospital and the community.

It added: “We are very proud of the history of rheumatology specialism in Highland and proud to host one of the only dedicated inpatient services for rheumatology in the UK, which provides specialist services for those with long-term chronic conditions. Acutely unwell rheumatology patients will continue to be seen by our rheumatology consultants at Raigmore Hospital.”

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