PATIENTS in Ayrshire and Arran who require more complex inpatient vascular procedures will receive their treatment at University Hospital Hairmyres (UHH) in East Kilbride from August, the health board has confirmed.

The move is part of a regional hub arrangement between NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Dumfries and Galloway.

Over the last few years, clinical teams from each of the three health board areas have been working to establish a high quality, sustainable model of care for vascular services.

The agreement will see shared delivery of vascular services and the creation of a regional centre of excellence for vascular surgery at UHH.

Jacqueline Nicol, interim acute services operational director, said the majority of the vascular service will continue to be delivered within NHS Ayrshire and Arran - including all non-arterial day case activity and outpatient services.

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She said: "While patients who require emergency care or a procedure which involves an overnight stay in hospital will have to travel to University Hospital Hairmyres for treatment, this really will ensure that they have access to the most appropriate and clinically safe vascular services at all times.

“The regional hub arrangement is a gold standard service which will deliver improved patient experience and outcomes and ensures that we have the right staff with the right skills providing the right care at the right time.”

Inpatients within NHS Ayrshire and Arran who require ongoing acute vascular care after August 1 will be transferred to UHH. Following their inpatient stay in UHH, patients will be discharged home, when this is appropriate.

If a patient no longer requires acute vascular care but is not fit to go home, patients will transfer to the most appropriate healthcare setting based on their ongoing needs. Patients and their families will be kept up-to-date by staff at all times.