Tenbury Community Hospital operations suspended

Operations at a Worcestershire hospital have been suspended after staff raised safety concerns.

Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust said the county's acute hospitals NHS trust had stopped procedures at Tenbury Community Hospital.

The issues included staffing in the operating theatre and the standard of equipment being used.

Rose Johnson, from Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "It was not suitable to continue."

'Plenty of alternatives'

Ms Johnson said: "We looked at the level of risk and it is unlikely procedures involving general anaesthetic will be held at the hospital in future."

She also said other services such as outpatient clinics at Tenbury would still continue but all appointments for operations there had now been transferred to Kidderminster Hospital.

A meeting is being held for the South Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, the League of Friends and members of the trust on Friday, a spokesperson said.

Simon Trickett, chief operating Officer for South Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: "There is no suggestion that any previous patients have been in any way endangered.

"We will now look at other options to make sure that we make the most of the theatre facility at the hospital and there remain plenty of alternative procedures that could be safely provided in Tenbury."

The trust said these options would be considered at a meeting on 12 July.