Hospital staff angry as firm takes over space cleared for patients

A HOSPITAL room cleared of office workers to make way for patients has been given over to pen-pushers from the private company who built the ERI.

NHS Lothian announced earlier this year that dozens of administration workers would leave the city's ERI so extra ward space could be created.

But while employees from finance and human resources have long since moved to their new premises, office workers from Consort have taken over one of the offices intended for "direct patient care".

The move by Consort - which already has a strained relationship with the health board - has prompted anger among hospital workers, although health chiefs emphasised it was only a temporary measure.

One NHS source said: "The fact is this space was cleared for clinical use and instead Consort is using it for offices. It was supposed to be set aside for patients but this has not happened and people want to know why. Staff don't like seeing Consort throw its weight about."

It was announced in May that NHS Lothian would switch its headquarters from the ageing Deaconess House to Scottish Government property at Waverley Gate.

Along with staff there administration workers from the ERI and St John's Hospital in Livingston were split between the rent-free Waverley Gate and Pentland House in Gorgie.

At the time the health board said this was so the areas could be cleared at Little France and "increase the amount of clinical space which can be used directly for patient care".

The shake-up would also provide significant financial savings for the cash strapped organisation, which is facing up to losing 200 million off its budget over the next five years.

If the brutal winter experienced last year is repeated, as many beds as possible will be needed at the ERI, which is already highly populated by elderly patients.

Margaret Watt, chairwoman of the Scotland Patients Association, said: "This is totally unacceptable.

"We pay rent for that building not for them to commandeer the space which was earmarked for beds. They should not be allowed to double deal like that. It is especially bad at this time of year."

NHS Lothian and Consort - which built the ERI and will run it for at least 25 years - have an uneasy relationship.

The Evening News revealed earlier this year that NHS Lothian will pay the company 1.2 billion but never own the hospital.

Jackie Sansbury, NHS Lothian's chief operating officer of acute services, said: "We have vacated 26 offices, formerly used by the finance and human resources departments, in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

"These consisted of single and double offices as well as two large rooms that accommodated between 40 and 50 people.

"We agreed with our private finance provider Consort that a small two-person office could be used temporarily as a hot desk room for staff on the proviso that it would be vacated as soon as work begins."