Unison call on NHS Highland to halt plans it close the RNI community hospital in Inverness
Unison is calling for a halt on the decision to close the RNI in Inverness.
Union representatives have contacted NHS Highland chief executive Paul Hawkins to ask for a rethink.
It does not want the health board to break up a team which it believes has worked so effectively through the worst parts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a shock decision, revealed by the Courier earlier this week, NHS Highland will discharge all patients over the next four weeks and reassign staff in order to carry out essential maintenance work and prepare it for a potential second wave of Covid-19 cases this winter.
Unison branch secretary Dawn MacDonald said: “We were shocked to learn of the NHS Highland plan to close the wards at the RNI, which came completely out of the blue for staff.
"They are a great team, very committed to the care of the patients they serve, and could not see the logic at all behind the plan.
"One member told us: 'There are so many community patients badly needing a hospital bed with Raigmore Hospital not accepting many patients due to the alleged second wave of Covid-19'.
"The hospital has a deep community connection, is well known for its cleanliness, professionalism and its exemplary care which all patients and families appreciate.”
Ms MacDonald said the union supports the need for the fire upgrade works in the building but added that without any involvement in this decision, members cannot accept that the only way for this to happen is for the one remaining ward to completely close.
"We are contacting our members to put forward a collective grievance around this decision, and have alerted NHS Highland management to this fact,” she said.
Branch chairwoman Anne Campbell said: “We are aware that there have been previous situations where wards have closed for patient/staff safety reasons, and we have accepted this. This is not the case at the RNI. We’re happy to talk to management, but do not support the NHS Highland decision at this time.”
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