'No decision made' on hospital bed closures - NHS

One of the key aims of the government's 10-year health plan is for patients to be treated more within the community to free up hospital beds and resources

Uncertainty remains over the future of community hospital beds, as the NHS moves towards more care at home.

In line with the government's 10-year plan, Somerset NHS Foundation Trust is consulting on proposals to close, relocate or re-purpose inpatient beds.

Temporary bed reductions are being trialled in the autumn at Bridgwater, Frome and West Mendip community hospitals, with staff being redeployed accordingly.

At a scrutiny committee meeting on Thursday, the trust and the NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board (ICB) said no decisions have been made on any permanent closures.

Proposed changes

As part of the test and learn scheme, the following temporary bed reductions will be made for 12 weeks in the autumn:

• Bridgwater Community Hospital - from 30 to 24 beds

• Frome Community Hospital - from 24 to 16 beds

• West Mendip Hospital - from 30 to 16 beds

In its place, there will be additional investment in community alternatives.

These include increased support for people in their own homes, alongside more funding for care home beds close to where patients live.

Potential temporary bed reductions are also being discussed in Burnham-on-Sea and Crewkerne, to create more physical space for additional services like chemotherapy, cardiology, urology, and community midwifery.

Hundreds of people came out to protest the bed cuts at Crewkerne Hospital

Somerset NHS foundation Trust said it would benefit local people because they would have a range of diagnostic services and treatments on their doorstep, and would not need to travel to the county's acute hospitals.

"No decisions have been taken to permanently close beds in our community hospitals, but we have a real opportunity to reimagine how we use them to provide the best possible care for local people," a spokesperson said.

But councillor Claire Sully, vice chair of the council's adults and health scrutiny committee, said: "I am confused by what their plan is."

Councillor Claire Sully says she is "confused" by the trust's plan

"I'm not confused by the vision of getting people to have care at their home, but we don't know the details.

"Staff members, some working for nearly 40 years, don't know if they're going to have a job.

"Today's meeting hasn't reassured me. I'm concerned about what the future of our community hospitals will be."

NHS Somerset is staging numerous in-person events over the summer and early-autumn under the 'Big Conversation' scheme, allowing people to have their say on the 10-year health plan and what it means locally.