Plans to close or ‘reconfigure’ wards at South Cumbrian hospitals will be discussed by Westmorland & Furness Council.
University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust wants to introduce changes at Barrow’s Furness General Hospital, Kendal’s Westmorland General Hospital and the Royal Lancaster Infirmary.
It said the changes did not require public consultation as they did not involve alterations or reductions to its services.
It said it where they were provided within the hospital and the community may change.
The report adds no members of staff will lose their job or be required to work at another of the trust’s sites.
The trust said: “The main drivers for the proposals are to improve patient care, streamline clinical pathways and reduce length of stay – not to reduce our workforce or save money.”
Furness General Hospital changes
Ward One
In ward one it is proposed the overnight beds will be removed from the ward, which currently consists of a Gynaecology Assessment Unit (GAU), Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit (EPAU) activity, and 15 overnight beds.
It is proposed the ward will become a dedicated assessment unit for GAU and EPAU and the surgical emergency assessment care unit (SEAC) which is currently on ward five will be moved to ward one.
The trust said the overnight beds currently on the ward were ‘predominantly filled’ with medical patients who should be on a medical ward and the current set-up meant patients were being cared for in the ‘wrong place’ which often leads to an increased stay.
Gynaecology patients requiring an overnight stay would be cared for in a dedicated area on ward five that would be set up to ‘always maintain’ the privacy and dignity of patients.
Abbey View
The report says the proposed closure of Abbey View ward will take place in two stages. Phase one of the changes will see the unit reduced from 20 beds to eight, with a view to closing the remaining beds following a full review.
The trust said although the unit provided excellent palliative care to a small number of patients, it was not a palliative care ward but a community rehabilitation ward that mainly supported patients.
However, a report to councillors added: “It is vital that these services continue to be delivered where appropriate and the trust is working lead clinicians in end of life care to ensure that there are robust arrangements in place for patients who previously may have end of life care in Abbey View to have quality end of life care elsewhere in the hospital estate.”
The proposed changes will support the realignment of community teams to develop a community-based model of care to prevent admissions to hospital and extended hospital stays for those patients at highest risk, the report states.
It is proposed the unit will stop admitting patients to full bed base on December 9, with 12 beds planned to close on January 6. A further review is set to take place before the remaining beds are closed in August 2025.
Ward Four
Ward four is a 24-bed surgical ward; however, the beds were predominantly filled with medical patients who should be on a medical ward.
The report added: “This means patients are being cared for in the wrong place and this often leads to an increased length of stay as they are not able to be reviewed by a medical doctor each day which delays discharges. Mixing medical and surgical patients also increases the risk of patient harm.”
It is proposed ward four will become a 24-bed medical ward, with surgical patients being moved to ward five. It adds ward four will have the capacity to increase the number of beds to 34 at times of pressure.
Ward Five
The 18-bed surgical ward is also the surgical emergency assessment care unit (SEAC) unit.
It is proposed the SEAC unit will be moved to ward one, and the number of beds will be increased to 24 in total, which would be ringfenced for surgical inpatients.
Westmorland General Hospital and Royal Lancaster Infirmary
Ward Six at Westmorland General Hospital
Ward Six is currently a 16-bed inpatient rehabilitation ward which mainly supports patients who are not meeting the medical criteria to reside, usually from Royal Lancaster Infirmary.
The report said on average, there were two to four patients on the ward at any one time. It added their length of stay increased because of the move to WGH which put patients at an increased risk of a negative impact on their recovery.
According to the report, the proposed closure of the ward would provide an opportunity to increase the number of patients receiving day case surgery and would support the aim of the hospital to become an accredited surgical hub.
It is proposed that admissions to this ward will stop on November 25 with beds being closed as patients are discharged.
Royal Lancaster Infirmary Wards 22 and 23
Wards 22 and 23 are currently used as elderly care wards, for patients who no longer require hospital care but do need some further support to safely return to their place of residence.
The proposed changes would see these wards move away from a medically led model of care to one focused on rehabilitation, the report said.
Royal Lancaster Infirmary Ward 16
It is proposed the overnight beds will be removed from the ward which currently consists of a Gynaecology Assessment Unit (GAU), Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit (EPAU) activity, and 16 overnight beds.
It is proposed the ward will become a dedicated assessment unit for GAU and EPAU
The trust said the overnight beds were predominantly filled with surgical patients who should be on a surgical ward and the current set-up meant patients were being cared for in the wrong place which often leads to an increased stay.
Any gynaecology patients requiring an overnight stay would be cared for in a dedicated area that would be set up to always maintain the privacy and dignity of patients.
Members of Westmorland & Furness Council’s health and adults scrutiny committee will discuss the proposals at Barrow Town Hall on November 27.
