Hospital staff in jobs fear

The chief executive of Shropshire’s orthopaedic hospital has said job losses or ward closures have not been ruled out as the organisation strives to meet a potential £7.5 million deficit.But Wendy Farrington Chadd, boss of the orthopaedic hospital near Oswestry, said changes, which had to be made to make sure the organisation had a sustainable future, would not diminish the level of patient care.

Speaking at a press briefing at the hospital yesterday, Mrs Farrington Chadd said it was vital the hospital proved to the Strategic Health Authority that it could be run on an even financial footing.

She explained that because of changes in NHS funding, the orthopaedic hospital now faced a potential multi-million pound deficit.

A sustainable services programme had been launched by hospital bosses looking at how the hospital was run and how efficiencies in the delivery of service can be found.

Proposed changes include the closure of Ercall Ward which offers specialist in-patient rheumatoid arthritis care - a move which has upset patients of the ward.

It is proposed that the Ercall Ward will be used as an outpatient day care service ward in the future.

Asked whether job losses or ward closures could be ruled out as part of the process, Mrs Farrington Chadd said: “We have not ruled anything out or anything in.

“This is a process for managing change.

“We have to look at the challenges we are facing,” she added.

But she added that although efficiencies had to be found, hospital bosses would not compromise the quality of care provided.

She said staff had been kept fully consulted on the process.

Mrs Farrington Chadd stressed the changes would not lead to the hospital losing its world class reputation.

That reputation was boosted by the news yesterday that the hospital was named as the best in England for patient care.

By Iain St John