Hospital beds could be cut to save cash (From Worcester News)

Hospital beds could be cut to save cash

4:40pm Saturday 28th January 2012 in Local By James Connell

HOSPITAL beds could be cut as Worcestershire’s health chiefs seek multi-million savings following a service review.

The joint review of county health services was announ-ced at a public meeting at Sixways Stadium in Worcester yesterday.

Pressure on services from a growing and ageing population has led to a gap between demand and available cash, which will open to £20 billion nationally by 2014/15.

Worcestershire’s own share of the burden will rise to between £150 million and £200 million by 2015/16.

About 50 people listened to and questioned leaders from NHS Worcestershire, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, the county’s three Clinical Commissioning Groups, the Clinical Senate and Worcestershire County Council.

Hospital services will be the main focus of the £1 million clinically-led review which responds to the radical and controversial health white paper now passing through Parliament.

The paper includes reducing bureaucracy by abolishing primary care trusts and strategic health authorities.

The focus includes care closer to home rather than in hospital and much closer working between different parts of the NHS and social services.

NHS Worcestershire chief executive Eamonn Kelly said: “Doing nothing is not an option for us. We are at the start of the process. There are no predetermined answers. That’s why we are going to the trouble of doing such an important, complex review – and doing that in a robust way.”

When pressed after the meeting for more details of which services would be protected at which were at risk he said there was “no blueprint” until the review was completed.

He said: “There are going to be some issues which could be difficult for people. There will have to be some difficult decisions.

“It could mean and will mean the loss of hospital beds. What we can’t do is remove the beds without putting in place something that removes the need for those beds. Emotions will run high.”

Worcester city councillor Roger Berry, a member of the health overview and scrutiny committee, asked which services were likely to be ring-fenced – protected from any changes which follow the review, particularly in light of a planned radiotherapy unit for Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester.

Mr Kelly said decisions about which services to ring-fence would take place during the review.

The review is expected to finish in November when the outline business case is expected to be finalised.