Beds to be lost in Royal Shrewsbury Hospital merger
Wednesday 5th October 2011, 11:07AM BST.
A cancer ward at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital is to be merged with another resulting in the loss of a number of beds, it was revealed today.
Concerns have been raised about the plans by the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust amid fears it could result in a reduced level of care.
But health bosses claim the RSH has too many beds compared to similar hospitals across the UK and say changes have to be made.
Under the move, the 16 beds in the oncology ward will be merged with the haematology ward.
Adam Cairns, trust chief executive, said he was not planning any redundancies as a result of the changes.
But mother of four Holly Onions, 38, from Ludlow, who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, said she was devastated by the proposed changes.
She said: “They are taking away five beds and it’s all happening by the end of November. This ward was paid for by the patients and their relatives.
“I have been here nine weeks and there is an outside area we can go and there’s a flat built on the site. My husband and children are able to stay in there so I can see them. I don’t know how they can even think of taking this away.”
Dr Saif Awwad, consultant clinical oncologist and lead clinician for ocology and hematology services, said: “Our aim is to provide a dedicated care environment.
“These discussions are at an early stage. We always welcome comments and these can be sent to consultation@sath.nhs.uk.”
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“But health bosses claim the RSH has too many beds compared to similar hospitals across the UK and say changes have to be made.”
What? Those similar hospitals are in places covering a service area the size and popluations of Shropshire and Mid Wales and some neighbouring areas?
I do not believe that.
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One week I read there is a shortage of beds next there are too many beds. Which is it?
Seeems to me there are too many bosses trying to justify their existance and the patients are the one’s that suffer and lose out every time.
I now live in the US where health insurance is expensive but I have a choice. If one hospital can’t provide me with a service I can go to another that will.
In recent years I have had to make good use of my health insurance. I get to see a Dr very quickly and get treatment including surgery very quickly.
The NHS was a great system when it was first introduced. As the years have gone buy it’s got worse with people using it that it was never intended to cater for. Then high flying executives got into the honey pot with big salaries and big ideas of how the service should be run, only for them to run it into the ground. If they fail and end up costing the British tax payer a fortune, they have no need to worry as they’ll leave with a nice bonus and golden handshake, again at the cost of the British tax payer.
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This unfortunately is the type of issues we tried to campaign against earlier in the year. It was called ‘Keeping it in the County’ by health bosses.
Expect further cuts to services and beds.
Told you so!
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Is this move really in the patients interest? or just another cost effective cut being made by management.
Does anyone in govenment or management really care about the interest of the patient and relatives anymore?
This is a dedicated unit, which the people of Shropshire are very proud of, the welfare of not only the patient but also the family is of upmost concern to the staff..
How many relatives of patients who have been nursed on this unit have left legacys, so that the unit could be funded to provide the additional facilities it now offers..
Does none of the legacys count?
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Saving money at the cost of patients lives!!!!
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