Issue - meetings

Report by Head of Adult Services

Prior to consideration of the report, the Chief Officer read out the following statement advising of an operational decision to relocate patients within the Knapdale Ward, Mid Argyll and to designate the ward for potential Covid-19 patients in order that the decision could be separated from the policy decision of the IJB.

NHS Scotland has instructed Health Boards and Integration Joint Boards to reduce delayed discharges and increase bed capacity immediately.

This has been discussed at the Gold Command across the Health Board, which co-ordinates the response to COVID-19 and supports the need for immediate capacity and to delay the spread of COVID-19 amongst the population.

As a result, the Knapdale Ward within Mid Argyll hospital in Lochgilphead has been designated for potential COVID-19 patients.  This ward is currently a dementia assessment ward and the patients who are being cared for within Knapdale will be provided with alternative care arrangements.

This decision has been taken in light of the demand for bed capacity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and we have been working with the families of the patients about the change to their care arrangements.

This operational decision is taken for clinical grounds and any permanent decision on the future of the ward remains with the IJB, which will be discussing the dementia services redesign at its meeting on the 25 March.

The Board gave consideration to a report that provided an update on the initial consultation, provided reassurance on the consultation process and outlined the next steps in relation to the dementia services redesign.

Decision

The Integration Joint Board –

1.    Noted the operational decision to designate the Knapdale Ward, Mid Argyll for potential Covid-19 patients.

2.    Approved the planned closure of Knapdale Ward, Mid Argyll in order to move to implementation planning of the Enhanced Community Dementia Model, noting that this process may take a year or more to implement.

3.    Approved the development of detailed implementation plan by way of a Dementia Steering Group, giving the Board assurance that risks are managed as a result of the process of transition.

4.    Noted the feedback from the consultation.

(Reference:  Report by Head of Service, Older Adults and Community Hospitals dated March 2020, submitted)