Unions plan to fight closure of St Cross Hospital ward

Unions are planning to campaign against the permanent closure of a ward at a Warwickshire hospital.

Birch Ward at St Cross Hospital in Rugby is shutting to save the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust £1m a year.

Pete McLaren, from the Rugby Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, said: "It's yet another nail in the coffin."

Director of Operations at the hospital, Carl Holland, said the closure would not lead to any job losses.

Mr McLaren said: "It's lost services quite steadily over the last few years, as each one goes obviously the hospital has less and less to offer.

"We'll talk to unions and patients groups and we will be campaigning against the closure of the ward and any other cuts to the local health services."

Speaking on Tuesday, Mr Holland said staff would be allocated to other parts of the hospital and patients from the 22 bed ward placed in other beds.

Birch Ward will close at the end of the month as part of the trust's plans to save £8.5m before April 2012.