Recruitment bid to reopen Bishop's Castle hospital beds

Campaigners attended the board meeting to show support over reopening the beds

NHS bosses have decided to try to recruit more staff in a bid to reopen 16 beds at community hospital.

The inpatient beds at Bishop's Castle Community Hospital in Shropshire were closed in October 2021 due staffing vacancies and recruitment issues.

But campaigners said they fear the closure, initially said to be temporary, will become permanent.

Shropshire Community Trust has now said more recruitment effort must happen before a final decision.

The beds closed in 2021

If the renewed recruitment campaign was unsuccessful the trust will give notice to local NHS officials that it can no longer offer the service, bosses agreed at board meeting on Thursday.

Last month, hundreds of Save Our Beds campaigners marched through the town to protest against the closure claiming 30,000 bed days had been lost in the region's hospitals due to the closures.

Most patients were cared for at home or at Ludlow Community Hospital after the beds shut in 2021.

Patricia Davis, chief executive of the trust, said at the time that the board recognised the "enormous strength of feeling" among the local community after the trust had previously said there was no "reasonable prospect" of re-opening them.

Vacancies were so chronic, there was a safety risk, they added.

A decision had been due on 3 August but was deferred to allow the board to review an independent report assessing recruitment concerns.

The trust had previously said there was no "reasonable prospect" of re-opening the beds. It had also said vacancies were so chronic, there was a safety risk.

Clair Hobbs, director of nursing and workforce, told the meeting, despite recruitment campaigns the trust had failed to generate enough interest to fill the substantial number of vacant posts.

Beds remained open at the trust's three other inpatient units - Ludlow, Bridgnorth and Whitchurch - which have seen an increase in the number of patients since the closure of Bishop's Castle.

Director of finance Sarah Lloyd said "inpatient activity" at the trust had remained above the level commissioned, with no overall cost saving by closing the beds.

Board members said they were not satisfied that recruitment efforts had been "reasonable and sufficient" and agreed at the meeting that another push at recruiting new staff was necessary.