Staff are increasingly worried about the future of Ugie Hospital after allegedly being told the facility would close “in a few weeks”.
There have been growing concerns during the past year that Peterhead’s Ugie Hospital may be facing closure after the Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership (AHSCP) launched a review into the local services.
A report, drawn up by a group appointed to assess the town’s facilities will be presented to the Integration Joint Board (IJB) which will decide on the future of health and social care provision.
The ageing facility on Ugie Road has been part of this consultation and some staff members claim to have been told the hospital would be shutting in the near future, with all patients and staff relocated to Summers Ward in Peterhead Hospital.
But it is understood the report to be presented to the IJB will actually reveal a plethora of information about the investment and options for health care in Peterhead.
A spokeswoman for the AHSCP also confirmed that no decision had been made on the facility’s future ahead of the IJB meeting.
But Ugie Hospital’s former rehab and enablement manager Margaret Morgan believes the closure of the 111-year-old hospital has already been decided.
She said: “We’ve been trying to fight to keep it open and we were promised there would be monthly updates, but we heard nothing.
“I’m still in touch with the staff and they were called into a meeting last Thursday and were told everyone, patients and staff, would be moving as they’re closing.
“It’s ridiculous and I’m absolutely gutted.
“I’ve fought long and hard against this – even pledging to raise funds to do up the building or even to support the NHS wing of a care home they promised but the idea was completely dismissed.
“Staff are turning to their union to see what can be done and I’m speaking to as many people as I can, because this is affecting the staff and their families as well as the patients and their families.
“How can you expect people to travel to Aberdeen to visit their loved ones, especially if they are elderly, if they’re there for rehab?”
But the AHSCP emphasised that there had been no final decision to close the facility.
A spokeswoman said: “A paper with recommendations for investment in the provision of health and social care services across Peterhead will come to the next meeting of the Integration Joint Board on August 28.
“All IJB papers are made available to the public one week prior to the meeting and we would encourage people to read the paper and look at the recommendations in it.”