No date set for full re-opening of children's ward

The children's ward at St John's stopped taking new in-patients at night last July

The children's ward at a West Lothian hospital will not fully re-open until "adequate and safe levels of staffing" are established, MSPs have been told.

St John's Hospital in Livingston had to stop accepting patients at night last year due to "fragile" staff levels.

The health board has been working to restore a 24-hour in-patient service, amid pressure from MSPs at Holyrood.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said "encouraging progress" had been made, but did not set a date for re-opening.

She said full service would only resume once staff levels are "safe and sustainable", saying work was ongoing to achieve this "as soon as possible".

Opposition parties said the ward was no closer to re-opening, claiming this was symptomatic of wider workforce planning issues in the NHS.

• 'Trauma' of baby's late-night hospital switch

• Look back on Jeane Freeman's statement on Holyrood Live

The hospital remains open to admissions between 08:00 and 20:00, but had to stop taking new patients outside of those hours in June 2017 due to staff shortages - the third such closure in the last six years.

Ms Freeman stressed that "a wide range of children's services" are still available at the hospital, and said there was "encouraging progress to report" with new trainees being hired.

She said "encouraging progress" had been made with new staff being hired, and said the health board had "set milestones for a reinstatement of the service once adequate and safe levels of staffing were in place".

However she did not set a date, rather saying this would happen "as soon as possible" and pledging to review progress regularly.

Jeane Freeman told MSPs that "encouraging progress" had been made

The issue was raised anew at Holyrood after the case of 11-month-old Kenzie MacKenzie was put to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

His mother Mary took him to the hospital suffering suffering from a high temperature and heart rate.

However with no 24-hour children's ward at St John's, it took three hours for them to be moved to the Sick Kids in Edinburgh. They were later discharged, without transport available, at 23:00.

'Distressing time'

Ms Freeman told MSPs that the family's expenses had been reimbursed alongside a full apology.

She said: "This was a distressing time for the family and the board have been left in no doubt that this was unacceptable, and must not be repeated.

"They have acknowledged these shortcomings and have now ensured that staff at St John's and the Royal Hospital are clear about the support available to parents and carers for travel expenses."

The health secretary said the goal was "not just to bring back a 24/7 service, its to bring back a sustainable 24/7 service".

She said: "The board chief executive has sought to assure me that the reinstatement of the full 24/7 paediatric service has the full commitment to the board, and will continue to receive the highest level of priority.

"That too is my commitment, and as we have done, we will continue to act to bring that about."

The issue was raised at Holyrood around the case of 11-month-old Kenzie MacKenzie

However, opposition parties were sharply critical of Ms Freeman's statement, saying that "these warm words change nothing on the ground".

The Scottish Conservatives said the statement "doesn't suggest the SNP is any further forward in reopening the children's ward at St John's".

Health spokesman Miles Briggs said: "For years the SNP has neglected the fact we have an ageing and increasing population, and ignored the challenge of an NHS retirement boom.

"That's left wards like the children's unit in St John's unable to cope - forcing a partial closure which now looks set to go on indefinitely."

'Lack of urgency'

Scottish Labour said families "yet again are faced with nothing more than warm words and false promises."

Health spokesman Anas Sarwar said: "The situation at St Johns is symptomatic of a wider issue of workforce shortages across the NHS in Scotland, it requires a credible and deliverable workforce plan. Instead the cabinet secretary cannot give a commitment to when the 24 hour service will resume."

The Scottish Greens charged ministers with "a completely lack of urgency", saying that "repeated assurances" had been going on "for far too long".

Lothian MSP Alison Johnstone said: "The lack of 24/7 care at the children's ward at St John's has caused distress for many years and needs resolved now. Lengthy waits for treatment and the transfer of ill children to Edinburgh cannot go on."

The Scottish Lib Dems said that "many of the children who would ordinarily be treated at St John's will be adults by the time the SNP make their minds up".

MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton added: "Scottish Liberal Democrats are demanding the Health Minister publish an annual report on workforce planning and lead an annual debate on it at Parliament. That would mean in future failings can be identified and rectified before it's too late."