Health chiefs have confirmed that the closure of the Bridlington Care Unit next month will not lead to job losses, with all affected staff set to be redeployed to strengthen other local NHS services.
The closure of Bridlington Care Unit next month will not lead to any redundancies, with health chiefs confirming that affected staff will be redeployed to strengthen other areas of the local National Health Service.
The York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is preparing to shutter the unit on the first of June.
Senior management have addressed concerns regarding the workforce, confirming the move will help alleviate existing staffing pressures across the trust and ensure that highly valued medical personnel are retained.
Chief Operating Officer for the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Claire Hansen, explained how the changes will positively affect the workforce.
Claire Hansen said:
"the 31 staff that are affected at Bridlington Care Unit. Those staff will be able to be redeployed into existing vacancies that we've got. So that's going to support our wards in being able to be more appropriately staffed. We absolutely acknowledge we do have challenges with staffing as the whole of the NHS does. So that's going to help with that. We do have sufficient vacancies for redeployment, um, and there is absolutely no redundancies anticipated."
The trust maintains that while overall staffing establishments are not being increased, the existing vacancies will provide ample opportunities for the affected healthcare workers.
Consultant in Emergency Medicine and Care Group Director, Dr Ed Smith, reassured staff about their future roles within the organisation.
Dr Ed Smith said:
"what we're talking about is redeploying of people into existing vacancies, so we've got existing vacancies. We're not in a position to increase our establishments at the moment but we've got existing vacancies and actually the vast majority, from what we can gather talking to the team on Bridlington care unit, it's very likely that the vast majority of people will get their first choice of opportunities for redeployment because we operate vacancies at all times, sadly."
The forthcoming closure of the Bridlington Care Unit is being described by health leaders as part of a broader strategy to shift care away from traditional hospital settings and back into the community.
Medical professionals at the trust argue that lengthy patient journeys through acute admissions and into step-down facilities can lead to physical deterioration, which is known as deconditioning.
They suggest that treating individuals in their own communities earlier in their recovery process will yield better health outcomes and prevent the decline associated with prolonged hospital stays.
Claire Hansen previously outlined the wider rationale behind the decision to close the facility.
Claire Hansen said:
"This is a managed service change in line with the aim of providing care closer to home, which is in line with the NHS 10-year plan and the hospital to community shift. And means that the Bridlington Care Unit would be able to close with support in a different way of working slightly."
The trust acknowledges concerns over whether community services are fully prepared to absorb the increased demand following the closure on the first of June.
However, bosses insist that reinvesting funds previously tied up in units like Bridlington is necessary to make the required improvements in community care.
Elaborating on the clinical benefits of the new approach, Dr Ed Smith provided further insight into the changes.
Dr Ed Smith said:
"One of the many reasons for advocating this change is because we genuinely believe that the deconditioning that occurs, on the patient journey, from acute admission into the wards and then into services like Bridlington care unit, could be better managed by managing the patient back in the community earlier on in their journey. Now, I'll take the point around, how do we know that the services are up and running and ready to go, I take that. But it is a little bit chicken and egg. We need to reinvest in those services we've invested in historically with units like Bridlington care unit, to be able to take that patient journey forward and make a step-change in managing patients in the community."
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