Public meeting on Tuesday to discuss future of St Michael's Hospital in Linlithgow

In August 2021 the decision was taken to close St Michael’s temporarily using emergency powers, under pressure of short term staff shortages across West Lothian.

The impression at that time was that the hospital would re-open.

Ten months later, in June 2022, a report to the West Lothian Integration Joint Board contained two recommendations – that St Michael’s should remain closed or a public consultation be held with all relevant parties to review future bed space requirements at St Michael’s.

A decision was taken to move patients and staff to Tippethill Community Hospital in Armadale, allowing the pooling of Staff. With a shortage of staff across NHS Lothian, this allowed for some staff to be re-assigned to St John’s Hospital.

St Michael’s is a community hospital and the only NHS facility of its type in the north of West Lothian. It provided end of life care, as well as tending to patients waiting for care packages or placement in a care home.

Patients were sent to St Michael’s from St John’s for these purposes, by doing so freeing up beds and moving patients away from a general hospital situation. Bed blocking is an ongoing concern for hospital managers.

The Friends of St Michael’s Hospital have been in regular contact with Alison White, West Lothian’s Health and Social Care Partnership director.

Elma Birrell, from Friends of St Michael’s Hospital group, said: “The future of the hospital is under constant review and no decision on its future can be taken without holding a public consultation to test the arguments for and against closure.

“As a preliminary to that public consultation, a public engagement meeting will be held in Kirk Hall, Cross House at 7pm on Tuesday, February 7.

"Interested organisations, stakeholders and members of the public will be provided with data and supporting information previously prepared for a meeting of the West Lothian Integration Joint Board (IJB), which will show how bed space at St Michael’s has been used in the past and how demand for the type of provision previously delivered at St Michael’s has changed.

"The public engagement will allow open exchange of views and ideas in relation to the future of St Michael’s Hospital. It will be the first opportunity for local community organisations and individuals to put forward their views about the hospital and it’s place in the provision of care in West Lothian.”

Feedback from the public engagement will be presented to the IJB Meeting on March 21 – that will inform the subsequent public consultation meeting to decide the future of St Michael’s Hospital.

Elma added: “It is vital that people and groups who have views on the future of the hospital attend.”