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9 February, 2010
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Published: 19 November, 2009
IT will come as a bitter pill to staff to learn that while an exercise is under way at cash-strapped Raigmore Hospital which could lead to axing more beds or even whole wards, its general manager has resigned.
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The Highland News has been contacted by several members of staff over the past week who have expressed worries over the speculation sweeping the hospital that a whole ward or wards could be on a hitlist for closure. There appear to be genuinely held fears for patient care in the short and long term and these include the highly sensitive gynaecology ward which insiders say is one of those at risk of closure and that women may be treated in general surgical wards. NHS Highland confirmed to us this week that all bed usage is being reviewed in the quest to make savings. But staff appear to be in the dark about just what the knock-on effect of this could be. Hospital managers have already decided to shut the 14-bed rehabilitation ward 2C and this will happen before Christmas. And recently an internal memo leaked to the HN showed the extent of demanded savings had led to a freeze on recruitment when vacancies arise and clampdowns on spending on stationery, study leave and coffee at meetings. The hours of bank nurses providing cover on wards are also being cut, leading to worries about staff shortages. Leading this crisis management was Raigmore general manager Susan Eddie who, the HN discovered this week, is quitting for "personal reasons" - a situation many people will be unaware of. As more worries surface among the staff she will leave behind, it will be interesting to see if she will be replaced in her £80,000 top end job - or if the jobs freeze and hours cuts only apply to those at the sharp end of the NHS who actually deal with the sick and injured. About turn AFTER two weeks of rejecting requests, Love2Love nightclub manager Paul MacGregor finally deigned to talk to the HN this week about the tattoo rule which has sparked a huge row and accusations of sex discrimination against male clubbers. Strangely, he denied that anyone has been excluded from his premises just for having uncovered tattoos - something disputed by dozens of readers who claim to have had personal experience of a ban policy. Emotions have run high as soldiers returning from Afghanistan have been caught up in the situation. Many will believe that Love2Love's explanation looks more like a smokescreen covering a retreat given the war of words that has broken out and the efforts being made by other clubs to cash in on the controversy. 
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