Options outlined for future of Lawson Hospital
NHS Highland outlined the options for improvements to the Lawson Memorial Hospital site in Golspie at a well attended meeting in the village last night.
North Highland Community Health Partnership (CHP) – the part of NHS Highland covering Caithness and Sutherland – needs to consider changing the way the Lawson site is used because recent surveys have shown that the hospital is in need of considerable work, much of which is associated with the flat roof areas.
The CHP set up a community group to involve local people in this work and a staff group, including staff from all areas of the hospital, has been meeting to discuss the options.
Last night’s meeting was attended by representatives of local community councils, the Friends of Cambusavie Unit, the Lawson Memorial Hospital League of Friends, Sutherland Access Panel and the Scottish Health Council, one of the local Highland Councillors and NHS Highland clinicians and managers.
Locality General Manager, Georgia Haire, updated them on the work that has been done so far and outlined the options that have been identified to date.
The options are:-
- The status quo.
- To make some minor improvements in attempt to bring the building closer to modern healthcare standards.
- To move the outpatient services into theCambusavie Unit and to demolish the existing outpatient department, which has very high maintenance costs, and upgrade the rest of the Lawson Memorial Hospital.
- To move the inpatient unit from the Lawson Memorial Hospital into theCambusavie Unit making a 25 bed unit – there are currently 14 beds in theCambusavie Unit and 11 in the Lawson, and to demolish the current outpatient unit. The outpatients unit would be moved into the space currently used for inpatients.
Ms Haire said: “We had a very positive meeting and I am pleased that local people are involved in the work that we are doing.
“We will also be asking patients what they think of the current environment at the hospital and how it might be improved to get a broad range of views.
“Further staff and community meetings are planned for February and March and we are hoping to take the work to the CHP Management Team meeting in March.”
