A REVIEW has been launched amid fears that beds at the Borders four community hospitals could be withdrawn due to a lack of medical cover.

The Health and Social Care Partnership review comes after GP cover finished at a small hospital in Kelso and medical contracts ended at the Knoll Hospital in Duns.

NHS Borders doctors and nurse practitioners have so far filled the void, but the temporary agreement is due to run out in August.

There are 92 community hospital beds across four sites in Peebles, Kelso, Duns and Hawick.

Agreements have been in place with nearby GP practices to provide medical cover for patients.

But GPs in Kelso withdrew from the arrangement in April due to an increased workload within their own surgeries.

At the same time contracted medical cover in Duns came to an end.

Because of the current GP workload it is feared that similar withdrawals could happen in Peebles and Hawick.

Now Ralph Roberts, NHS Borders chief executive, said the review would seek to ensure that medical cover at community hospitals was “sustainable”.

He said: “Scottish Borders Health and Social Care Partnership is reviewing services provided from our four community hospitals to ensure they are fit for the future.

“This will consider the changing needs of our population and the way in which health and social care should be provided to best meet these needs.

“One element of the review is the provision of medical cover in community hospitals to ensure that it is sustainable.

“The review will help us to redesign our services to provide sustainable, high quality care for the long term and is being carried out openly and transparently with the participation of  our staff and communities and in line with the Health and Social Care Partnership’s involving people framework.

“This process is in its very early stages and there are no plans at present to change community hospital provision prior to the outcomes of the review.”