Community hospital staff 'kept in the dark' over future

In a letter, staff said there had been an "appalling" lack of communication

Staff at a hospital which closed temporarily two years ago said they had been kept in the dark about its future.

The 12-bed Bishop's Castle Community Hospital (BCCH) in Shropshire closed in 2021 because of staff shortages and patient safety concerns.

Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust said there had been weekly meetings with managers to keep staff updated.

But workers said the lack of clarity had led to low morale and fears it would close permanently.

In a letter sent to the chair and chief executive of the Integrated Care Board for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, the staff complained they had not heard from executive management since the temporary closure was announced 17 months ago.

Most of workers were temporarily redeployed after that announcement and the letter said they had been "patiently waiting" for news of the hospital's future.

They said in December 2022 they had seen an email which suggested the closure could become permanent, but that had not been confirmed.

They also said the hospital building remained clean and ready for use, if staff were allowed to return.

One anonymous member of staff, who was quoted in the letter, said: "We've been left in limbo - a no-man's land."

Another wrote: "It has been demoralising and depressing watching equipment and supplies from BCCH being taken away to use at Ludlow during the whole of the temporary closure - giving the sense that there was no intention of reopening anyway."

Several said they were looking for work elsewhere.

Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust accepted in February 2022 it should have consulted before the decision to temporarily close the community hospital.

In response to the letter, it said it recognised "the temporary closure of the inpatient facility at Bishop's Castle for safety reasons has caused uncertainty for some staff".

It also said it had been "engaging regularly with staff side representatives" and was committed to working with "staff, patients and the wider public", to resolve the future of healthcare in the town.