Due to a shortage of staff at St John’s Hospital in Livingston, West Lothian, the children ward here has been shut down for next three months. It has been declared by the hospital that no new patient would be admitted to this ward during this summer season.

On weekdays, children will be assessed and monitored by the doctors of course, but upon the need of admission, they will be transferred to Edinburgh.

According to NHS Lothian, this is something serious to know and it will not take it easy.

In April this year, several trainee paediatric doctors were detached from the hospital staff so that the permanent staff of hospital could spend some extra hours into their work. Since then, the existing team of doctors is somehow trying to manage the work load.

According to the health board, it is quite difficult to arrange enough staff for a temporary period of three weeks. And therefore it has been decided that from July 9, onwards the children ward here would be open only on Monday to Friday between 8am to 8pm.

General evaluation and investigation will be done but on weekends, the ward will be entirely shut. In this regard, arrangements have been made to transfer sick children to the Royal Hospital in Edinburgh in times of emergency.