NHS keen to improve reliability of hospital lifts
NHS Shetland is exploring how it can improve the reliability of the lifts at the Gilbert Bain Hospital following concerns.
Both lifts at the ageing hospital have failed in recent months, with the impact of total lift failure at the hospital being add to NHS Shetland’s risk register last month.
All in-patient facilities at the hospital require lift access in order to support patient access and transfer between departments.
The health board said that complete failure of the two lifts would result in a phased evacuation of the hospital, and would require the support of other hospitals to meet patient needs.
Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton this week raised a motion calling for the Scottish Government to commit to building a full new-build replacement for the Lerwick hospital.
And in his motion, which has cross-party support including from the SNP’s Shetland MSP Hannah Mary Goodlad, he raised concerns that there was only one engineer able to fix the two lifts.
“If they are on holiday and a lift breaks, it cannot be fixed,” he claimed. “That’s not good enough.”
NHS Shetland head of estates David Wagstaff said they had asked the Scottish Government if there was “anything else we can do” about the unreliability of the lifts.
A lift consultant will be carrying out a full survey of the elevators, he said, with the aim to either refurbish or replace them.
“We’re looking at options around improving the reliability of those lifts, until such a time as we can do a full replacement or get a new facility,” he added.
Wagstaff also said that structural mesh is soon to be added to the external walls of the four-storey hospital building following safety concerns.
NHS Shetland has been carrying out “essential exterior repair works” at the hospital with parts of the building’s external walls being removed and reclad to make them wind and watertight.
However a recent NHS Shetland board meeting heard that investigative works had found separation from the inner and outer leaf of external blockworks, along with cracking of external wall faces.
A plan was put in place to prevent further deterioration, including external supporting mesh.
Wagstaff told Shetland News that the walls “haven’t deteriorated badly, which was our biggest concern”.
He added the NHS hoped to begin adding the temporary mesh solution to the external walls in June, while a long-term solution is worked on.
Wagstaff was speaking after it was confirmed that NHS Shetland has bought the Kveldsro Hotel in Lerwick to provide 18 beds for health workers in the isles.
It has been said previously that a new hospital could come with accommodation to ensure NHS Shetland can house staff coming to live and work in the isles.
Asked if the purchase of the Kveldsro would negate that need, Wagstaff said there would “always” be a requirement for accommodation with a new hospital.
“The Kveldsro is only 18 beds,” he said.
“We have 100 beds across the islands and not all of those are in Lerwick.
“I think there’s always going to be a requirement for beds on the same site as a new hospital.”
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