Bosses at St Mary’s Hospital have vowed to find a new, long-term home for Wellow Unit, but confirm that it will be temporarily moving in the coming days due to significant, longstanding pressure elsewhere in the hospital.
Several posts have been shared on social media in the past 48 hours stating that the End of Life Care Unit, which looks after Islanders as they come to their final hours, is being closed.
It has been claimed that the unit will be shut down by the end of the week with just 3 beds to be opened up within the stroke department as an alternative, something which has been branded ‘ludicrous’.
One commentator has said:
“Wellow is, as it stands, is a vital unit in the care given not only to the dying patient, but support to family and friends. To downsize this award winning unit is utterly insane”.
It’s understood the area currently occupied by Wellow – the former Shackleton Ward – is to be transformed into a sick bay for 12 patients.
Island Echo has sought clarification from the NHS about this shocking news, news that has upset and angered Islanders and has led to an influx of messages to our news desk.
Messages of support for the staff and the ward in general have included:
“Words fail me … this unit took care of my Grandpa at the end of last year. As a family we cannot fault their care and support during such an emotional and precious time. This is ludicrous”.
and
“There will be a knock on effect as patients who would have been on Wellow will have to stay on wards that may well not have staff that have time to spend with these patients, as they are run off their feet looking after their own patients. Unfortunately our lovely hospital and its staff are fighting a losing battle against the cut backs”.
Wellow Unit, which was established as a temporary project in February 2020, is the country’s only nurse-led end-of-life unit. It provides bespoke care for those who would otherwise pass away in open bays in A&E or Intensive Care.
A spokesperson for the Isle of Wight NHS Trust has confirmed that the hospital needs to use the limited space available as efficiently as possible, and therefore Wellow will be moving to a temporary location.
Reassurances have been given that plans are afoot for a long term home to be found, although no time scale has been given.
In a statement, the spokesperson has said:
“The care provided on Wellow Unit is among the best in the NHS and we understand how much it means to our colleagues, patients, and their loved ones.
“We are responding to significant, longstanding pressure in the wider hospital and working to use the limited space we have available as efficiently as possible.
“This means that Wellow will be moved temporarily to another part of St Mary’s Hospital in the coming days while essential building works are carried out and a long-term home for this excellent service is found.”
The decision to move and therefore potentially downsize Wellow Unit, albeit temporarily, seems a bizarre one given that since Wellow Unit was introduced the number of deaths in ICU has been reduced by 24% and CCU by 43%.
The Trust has recently been praised for its end of life care and in November last year Wellow Ward was nominated for a national award.
What’s with all this then, more and more managers standing around doing nothing except talking about the next holiday or the new car. Meanwhile the real staff are overworked. Typical. The whole hospital needs an investigation. Too many managers taking the piss.
Very very top heavy with Management has been for the last 10+ years. Mostly “yes men” no intuition or foresight just interested in the money and pension pots.
The decision to move and therefore potentially downsize Wellow Unit, albeit temporarily, seems a bizarre one given that since Wellow Unit was introduced the number of deaths in ICU has been reduced by 24% and CCU by 43%.
surely the death toll hasn’t been reduced by the existence of the Wellow Unit, but rather, the deaths take place in a different place to the ICU and CCU.
Makes one wonder if Putin is in charge of this country at times.
Words absolutely fail me. So a ward providing necessary specialist care will be closed and the team disbanded to be replaced by three beds in the stroke unit and the patient and family supported by nurses who are already at breaking point. Who are these managers who make these decisions? Do they know the difference between a hospital and a factory?
Simple answer – NO.
This is an absolutely insane and thoughtless move. The welfare for the dying persons family has not been taken into consideration in my opinion. I myself have sat with dying friends and the ward itself has a very peaceful atmosphere and the staff are absolutely amazing and absolutely nothing is to much trouble no matter what time, day or night. The chance for someone to have dignity to die in peace is so important not only for the person themselves but for the family. To have the memory of your loved one within those surroundings is 100% better than in a corridor or bed with just curtains around them.
For the trust to say it is being moved for only short term is nonsense.
I hope those who made this ludicrous decision don’t have to sit with their dying loved one in a side bed with just curtains….they might think about what they have done….
Reading the above, it seems rather obvious that not putting people into the Wellow Unit, that the death rate on Wellow could be reduced to Zero. You can make statistics say exactly what you want them to. I mean no disrespect to the staff of ICU, CCU and Wellow, nor to the poor souls dying on any of those units, but sadly, at some stage in our lives we all become mere statistics.
Really? The people of the island have made no comments on the closure of yet another facility? I made one that has not been published – how many more are there?
As usual with the IW Health Trust, the real reasoning behind this has not been made transparent.
Useless Statistics being used to confuse the issue once again and destroy a unit where people are at least treated with dignity. You could not go any lower than this.
In reply to grumpy grannies, people don’t know because it was done very cloak n dagger like because they knew if it got out there would and has been an up roar from the people. But like everything for the people it’s too late in the day for much help for Wellow. The staff on the unit have had roughy a weeks notice of this happening…..of course the voices from the top are saying it isn’t closing but relocating else where…I wonder why all staff on Wellow have a very different opinion of the situation….
Ever get the feeling the NHS is slowly dying itself – bit by bit? If the NHS and Council had not be so keen to sell of the Cottage Hospitals years ago, for a pittance, none of this would be happening. The facilities would be there, the buildings would be available and no bed blocking. Anyone who votes Conservative take note – you will need massive amounts of wealth, several different types of health insurance and live with your choice to killing the NHS off. The death of a loved one is bad enough, to know that this unit is closing is disgusting for want of a better word. Reminds me of the many closures of the railways – bad move again.