FEARS for the future of a community hospital after ward staff were moved out saw cross-party politicians join hundreds of protesters at a weekend rally.

More than 100 people gathered on Sunday demanding action eight weeks after the Edington Hospital in North Berwick closed its only ward “temporarily” as staff were seconded to the larger East Lothian Community Hospital in Haddington.

The move has sparked fears that the cottage hospital, which provides palliative care to local residents, will be shut down for good.

However, health chiefs have insisted that the hospital is not ‘closed’, insisting that minor wounds and treatment services remain available at the site five days a week – however, the previous minor injuries service for all ages has been replaced by a Community Treatment and Care (CTAC) service only available to over-18s.

At the weekend rally, local residents were joined by Scottish Labour spokesperson for for health and social care Jackie Baillie MSP and Scottish Conservative deputy health spokesperson Sue Webber MSP, who hit out at the removal of a community service.

Murray Duncanson, chairman of the Friends of the Edington, told the crowd that when the doors shut at the town’s hospital, the “heart was torn from the community”.

He said that the closure had been a massive blow to the town.

He told the large crowd: “Eight weeks ago, we had the heart ripped out of our community with the closure of the Edington Hospital – a service that has stood in this community for over 100 years and it has given us tremendous love.

“I can’t imagine there is anyone here who has not been touched by the love and care of the Edington.”

Alison Macdonald, chief officer of East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership, said that the temporary transfer of staff was due to be reviewed.

She said: “The decision to temporarily relocate the nursing staff who support six inpatient beds at the Edington Hospital to the East Lothian Community Hospital was taken to help address significant pressures on services and staffing.

“Consolidating staffing in this way allows us to keep more beds open for the people of East Lothian over this difficult period and has been a necessary move to protect patient and staff safety.

“The situation continues to be monitored closely and we are committed to reviewing the position in December, three months on, as was our promise.”

Paul McLennan (SNP), East Lothian MSP, said that he had held talks with Health Minister Humza Yousaf MSP over the situation with the hospital and received positive support.

At the rally on Sunday, Mr McLennan was joined by South Scotland MSPs Craig Hoy (Con) and Martin Whitfield (Lab), as well as Ms Baillie and Ms Webber, as they put on a cross-party display of support for the hospital.

They all signed a petition while filling in hearts with messages of support for the hospital.

Mr McLennan said: “I think the strength of support from local people who have come out shows how concerned people are to protect this hospital and keep this vital community service in North Berwick.

“It is important the hospital reopens but also reopens safely, so that we have the staff in place to ensure it remains open.”

Jackie Baillie (pictured below at the rally) said that the decision to close the Edington’s only ward, even temporarily, made no sense at a time when local services were more important than ever.

East Lothian Courier: Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie MSP has thrown her support behind the campaign to save the Edington Hospital in North Berwick

She said: “This hospital was not short-staffed and taking away a vital local resource from a community, particularly in rural areas where local services are so important, makes no sense.

“I am desperately concerned that it will not reopen.”

And Sue Webber said: “After everything we have faced over the last 18 months, it should be clear that if we had more services in communities, we could have managed things better.

“To be making a decision now to close a community service makes no sense. We need to have more services in the heart of communities, not centralised.”

The Edington, which has six beds providing palliative care, as well as offering minor injuries and rehabilitation services, is one of a number of facilities under review by East Lothian Integration Joint Board (IJB) as part of a move to create a 21st-century elderly care service.

Talks have been ongoing about introducing a new model of care for the elderly which could replace the Edington, Belhaven Hospital in Dunbar, The Abbey care home in North Berwick and Eskgreen care home in Musselburgh.

The board is due to review the decision next month.

MSP Mr Whitfield said that it was important the review produced a “road map” showing how health bosses planned to reopen the hospital moving forward.

He said: “The concern at the moment is that it appears to have been closed without any planned road map back and that is what we need to see.”