A new dementia service is set to be rolled out for the south of Aberdeenshire but a former dementia ward that closed due to a lack of staff will not reopen to patients, health bosses have confirmed.
Aberdeenshire West MSP Alexander Burnett has welcomed the return of a service for Deeside, but has voiced concerns that patients may not receive the same care as they did when the Scolty Ward at Glen O’Dee Hospital in Banchory was open.
Members of Aberdeenshire’s integration joint board have been asked to approve a cost-cutting “enhanced community dementia model” for the south of the region.
The proposals would see a psychologist, occupational therapist, speech and language therapist, B6 nurse, and health care support workers visit people in their homes, instead of offering hospital services in the region.
While Mr Burnett has welcomed a return to dementia care in the community, he has voiced fears of a “postcode lottery” when compared to other parts of Aberdeenshire that have hospital beds for dementia patients.
The new plans would save Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership around £576,000 when compared to the Scolty Ward.
The board said 25 patients with a South Aberdeenshire GP practice over the age of 65 were admitted to Aberdeen’s Royal Cornhill Hospital or other dementia assessment wards in Grampian between March and August this year.
Scottish Conservative MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Alexander Burnett, said: “While I will always welcome the return of dementia services to the community, I do have fears about this being a cost-cutting measure.
“It is vital this new service provides similar care to what patients received at the Scolty Ward which minimised upheaval and a change in their lives for loved ones.
“Across Deeside, the closure and centralisation of inpatient dementia treatment has been incredibly damaging to patients and their families.
“In the south of Aberdeenshire, patients face a postcode lottery for dementia care compared to other parts of Grampian that currently have dementia wards.
“This new service reflects the difficulty NHS Grampian is facing in employing mental health staff, caused by the Scottish Government’s chronic underfunding and mismanagement of the health board.
“Both must work together to overcome these recruitment struggles within mental health to ensure patient care in Aberdeenshire isn’t at a disadvantage compared to other parts of the country.”
