Current status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the reopening criteria being used by the East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership to determine the reopening of the Edington Hospital in North Berwick is an appropriate way to determine if a community hospital should be open.
The introduction of a criteria to determine the reopening of the Edington Hospital in North Berwick was determined by the East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership. The criteria was agreed with input from senior nursing colleagues and is intended to support NHS Lothian Gold Command consider the potential options for returning bed capacity to the Edington Hospital.
Decisions about local provision are best made locally, so when to re-open Edington is one for NHS Lothian and East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership to make. However, any decision made must take into account the needs of the local population, and ensure an appropriate level of service is in place to meet those needs.