Number of in-patient beds cut at new £20m hospital in Aviemore
The number of in-patient beds in use at the new Badenoch and Strathspey Community Hospital in Aviemore has been cut by eight despite demand being for near full capacity.
The Strathy has been informed of concerns about the current level of provision at the facility which opened in September 2021 at Dalfaber amid claims 'staffing issues' are to blame.
The number of in-patient beds being used at present is 16 – down from potentially 24 beds – at the £20m hospital.
An NHS Highland spokesman said yesterday: "The Badenoch and Strathspey Community Hospital opened with 20 in-patient beds with four additional rooms in the ward area which are used for non-inpatient clinical purposes.
"We are currently operating on 16 beds in response to current levels of more complex needs that need to be responded to.
"Staffing levels remain the same at the moment and this situation remains under review."
He confirmed the hospital has been running 'at 19 to 20 beds generally'.
Prior to closure NHS Highland had nine in-patient beds available at St Vincent's Hospital in Kingussie and 11 beds in Ian Charles Hospital in Grantown but there had been much greater provision in the past.
A concerned source said: "Raigmore Hospital in Inverness was on red alert at the weekend yet Aviemore will not accept any patients.
"I know if this was my family member that was needing a hospital bed and there were beds free in the local hospital I would be absolutely disgusted knowing this is what is happening."
Local Highland councillor Russell Jones said: "I think the question has to be asked – are the people of Badenoch and Strathspey being well served by the new hospital in Aviemore?
"When our hospitals in Kingussie and Grantown were closed we were promised a fantastic service in a modern facility.
"Legitimate local concerns about bed numbers, building design and transport links were batted away by NHS Highland with assurances that everything would be fine.
"Well clearly they are not fine."
He continued: "The design of the hospital makes it very staff intensive to actually fill all of the beds. Every patient is in a single room so nurses cannot see more than one patient at a time.
"I have heard recently of Raigmore Hospital wanting to transfer local patients to Aviemore only to be told that the hospital could not take them due to staffing levels.
"That is not what we were promised and it is distressing for families that their loved ones cannot be cared for locally."
He added: "In the mid 1990s we had 39 bed spaces in St Vincent's and around 25 in Ian Charles.
"If it is true that bed numbers in Aviemore are down to 16 then NHS Highland has some serious questions to answer and local people are being failed."
