Alec Campbell

SIGNIFICANT work has already taken place to see four of the region’s cottage hospitals deliver a wider range of services in the heart of those communities.

On 4 March, members of Dumfries and Galloway Integration Joint Board received a keenly-awaited report setting out the actions taken since the meeting in October when it agreed a plan for the sites in Moffat, Thornhill, Kirkcudbright and Newton Stewart.

Members heard that a lot of the work including the relocation of the GP practice in Moffat is well-advanced, and about plans for further stakeholder engagement around developing an even wider range of services.

IJB Chair Andy McFarlane said: “The decision on where to take these four sites was one of the biggest we have faced as a board, and it followed extensive engagement.

“Our members were extremely pleased to see that, five months on, a great deal of the work required to prepare these facilities for their role providing a wide range of services is already very advanced, and that no time has been lost in putting these plans into action.

“What came through very clearly in the engagement is that these communities wanted to see these facilities playing a vital role providing treatment and support to local people. It’s imperative that, very quickly, we see this promise delivered.”

The paper to the IJB noted that work preparing for the move by Moffat’s medical practice into the new community hub is almost complete – with the practice set to open there next month [APRIL].

The practice team will be joined on site by the Home Teams staff who co-ordinate delivery of treatment and care within communities, while the facility will also serve as the local base for vaccinations.

Work to accommodate the local Home Teams, and for them to serve as the local vaccination hubs, is complete at all four sites. And accommodation has been identified for the introduction of Virtual Clinic spaces which are able to bring a wider range of specialist services than was ever possible previously.

Meanwhile, in Newton Stewart, draft proposals have been completed for local delivery of IV Therapies and intravenous antibiotics through Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT).

These plans being spearheaded at Newton Stewart will go on to serve as the basis for similar services at the three other hubs.

IJB members were also told that scoping had been completed at Newton Stewart for provision of outpatient services to introduce Mental Health and Women and Children Services.

They were informed that continued involvement with stakeholders is set to take place as plans for wider range of services are taken forward at all four sites, with potential opportunities for the third sector to have a presence on site as a point of contact for people seeking support and advice on a wide range of issues.

Interim Chief Officer of Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership Nicole Hamlet said: “I’m very pleased that the IJB welcomed this report, and recognised that a great deal of work has taken place very quickly to prepare these sites to deliver a wide range of services.

“Reflecting that desire to see things continue to progress quickly, further reports are due at subsequent meetings, and we hope that very quickly all four sites will be extremely active and well-used, and that many people in these areas will be experiencing the benefits of these services.”

Dumfries and Galloway’s Integration Joint Board (IJB) has welcomed news of progress with a review of general medical practices across the region.

At its last meeting in December, recognising the heavy pressure on GP practices across Dumfries and Galloway, the IJB agreed to develop a long-term plan to put GP services on a stable footing.

At its meeting on 4 March, the board heard the findings of initial engagement with GPs, practice managers, nurses and other health care workers. Increasing demand for services, staff shortages, and a need for better IT and data sharing support were all key themes, the report said.

Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership chief officer Nicole Hamlet said: “It is vital for us to listen to the people on the front line. We need to ensure stable, sustainable general medical services for everyone in the region, and the first step in that journey is hearing their concerns.”

“So much has changed in general medical practice in the last few years. Not just the impact of COVID-19, which put pressure on general practices as well as the rest of the health care system, but also the way the practices themselves have evolved.

“Many of our practices now operate as teams of specialist professionals – so the GPs will be working alongside advanced practitioners, primary care mental health nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists, and practice nurses.

“We need a long-term plan that safeguards general medical care for everyone in Dumfries and Galloway.”

The engagement continues in parallel with work to analyse the feedback it collects.  The findings will be presented to the IJB at its next meeting in June this year. This will be followed by stakeholder workshops and formal consultation, with a final plan due for approval and implementation early in 2026.

The IJB is an independent body responsible for setting out strategic plans for health and adult social care in the region.

Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership is the separate organisation responsible for ensuring that the directions issued by the IJB are implemented by the NHS and Council.

A new plan agreed this month will see more support for unpaid Carers across the region – including more respite care to give them some much-needed time off.

The Integration Joint Board (IJB), which is responsible for directing health and social care across Dumfries and Galloway, voted in its meeting on 4 March to approve a three-year plan that will see more short-term care and better access to support for people caring for elderly or disabled relatives and friends.

Under the delivery plan, £2 million a year will be spent to support Carers. The bulk of the funding will go to expanding respite support, in which a care at home provider or a care home takes over looking after someone for a few days to give their normal carer a break.

Funding will also go to other forms of support for Carers.

IJB chair Andy McFarlane said: “Our community depends on its 20,000 Carers. The work they do is often unseen, often unrecognised and very often unpaid – but older people and vulnerable adults across the region simply could not manage without them.

“In December the Board approved a Carers Strategy which recognised how vital Carers are, and promised to provide them with more recognition, more access to help, and more support. Today’s delivery plan is the first step in putting these promises into effect, and we look forward to seeing more progress over the months and years ahead.”