Council Leader welcomes news of East Ayrshire Community Hospital acquisition

Councillor Douglas Reid, Leader of East Ayrshire Council, has welcomed the recent announcement by NHS Ayrshire & Arran that it has acquired ownership of the company that owns and operates East Ayrshire Community Hospital.

The hospital, which opened in 2000, had originally been procured through one of the first PFI health contracts in Scotland and the recent acquisition has been fully funded by the Scottish Government.

The acquisition will allow the site to become the hub for the development of future health and social care services in line with the Caring for Ayrshire programme. It will also provide the flexibility and opportunity to embed new models of service delivery which will be designed alongside communities, those who use hospital services and their families.

Councillor Reid, who is also a member of the Integration Joint Board (IJB), the decision making body of the Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “This is greatly welcomed news as it provides an excellent opportunity to further develop strong partnership-based health and care services for East Ayrshire residents.

“Through my involvement with the IJB, I’m very aware of the strong focus that is placed on community-based health and social care services and have seen the care and dedication of the teams who work at East Ayrshire Community Hospital. It’s a real part of the community and I know how much the hospital means to local residents, many of whom appreciate being able to receive the care they need close to home. I’m therefore delighted to see that the long-term future of the facility is now secure.”

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