THE partial closure of the Edington Cottage Hospital in North Berwick will continue for at least another nine months, as East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership (ELHSCP) gets ready to launch a year-long consultation.

The Edington’s only ward closed in September 2021 for an initial 12-week period, but has now been shut for almost two years, with the majority of services relocated to the East Lothian Community Hospital (ELCH) in Haddington.

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Community opposition included a parade last year in protest against the ongoing partial closure, and local MSPs raising the situation in the Scottish Parliament.

But hopes of seeing the Edington’s services return have been dealt a further blow after ELHSCP confirmed that the current situation would remain in place for another nine to 12 months.

This comes in connection with the imminent launch of a consultation which will look at the options for the “development of older people’s health and social care services in East Lothian”.

The consultation will take place over 12 months and will look at the challenges facing the provision of healthcare in the county.

A spokesperson for ELHSCP said: “Following the recommendations made by the Community Hospital and Care Home Provisioning Change Board, East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership will be going back out to consult with the people of East Lothian over the next 12 months to consider options for the development of older people’s health and social care services in East Lothian.

“These options will be the first step in a co-production approach ELHSCP continues to take with the communities of East Lothian to address the challenges being faced by ELHSCP in delivering health and social care services to older people in East Lothian.

“Some of the challenges being addressed include East Lothian’s care home provision, care-at-home services, community-based facilities and activities, hospital bed provision (at the Community Hospital, Belhaven and the Edington), and the delivery of intermediate care services – services which provide early intervention support to prevent hospital stays and enable patients to return home from hospital as soon as possible.

“During this time, the services currently being delivered from the Edington will remain the same.

“The need for in-patient support in North Berwick will continue to be met by the current additional services at the Edington and support within the local community, including local care homes and the East Lothian Community Hospital in Haddington.”

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Paul McLennan, East Lothian MSP, said: “The main issue in regard to reopening the Edington, as we all know, is the labour shortage, which is impacting the sector across Scotland and the UK.

“I have arranged a stakeholder meeting with care providers on June 23 looking to address the issue.

“I have extended an invite to the community council.

“I would hope successful recruitment would allow a quicker reopening.”

Martin Whitfield, South Scotland MSP, shared his displeasure that the Edington’s partial closure had been extended further.

He said: “This will be incredibly disappointing news for everyone who cares about the Edington, including those who have been campaigning for the reopening of its community ward.

“However, it is important to recognise that responsibility for this situation ultimately lies with the Scottish Government.

“Years of inadequate workforce planning and underfunding of our health services in fast-growing areas of the Lothians contributed to the initial closure of the ward.

“Ministers must now get a grip of these issues and ensure that our NHS has the staff and resources it needs to support important local facilities like the Edington.”

Craig Hoy, South Scotland MSP, added: “The closure of the in-patient beds and the minor injuries clinic at the Edington has left East Lothian with fewer nurses and fewer beds at a time where there is rising demand for more services.”

Judy Lockhart-Hunter, vice-chair of North Berwick Community Council, said: “I don’t have the words to express how disappointing it is to hear that the Edington is going to remain closed for another year, after what was meant to be a 12-week temporary closure beginning in September 2021.

“ELHSCP are using the building to offer different services in an attempt to claim that the hospital is not closed. This is disrespectful to the thousands of people who signed our petition and the hundreds that attended our multiple community rallies calling for the hospital to be reopened.

“Despite repeated requests, neither the health minister, Michael Matheson, nor the previous health minister and now First Minister, Humza Yousaf, are willing to meet with NBCC and the rest of the Edington Steering Committee.

“We have raised concerns which remain unaddressed since the closure of the hospital around the palliative care provision for the town, as well as the lack of a minor injuries clinic in the area.

“The East Lothian Community Hospital is inaccessible for many due to poor public transport links and doesn’t provide the same services as the Edington.”