Gaff casts doubts over hospitals' futures (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Gaff casts doubts over hospitals' futures

THE futures of hospitals at Cirencester and Malmesbury were thrown into doubt this week following a gaff by a senior health executive.

Speaking at a meeting of Tetbury Town Council on Monday night, the programme director of Cotswold Primary Care Trust, Martin Hughes, said Tetbury Hospital would benefit from the closure of the hospital at Malmesbury.

The statement was met with astonishment by councillors - doubly so when GP and town councillor Tony Walsh told the meeting that PCT chief executive Richard James had told him that Cirencester Hospital was 'unjustifiable in fiscal terms'.

The following day, Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust - which runs Malmesbury Hospital - was keen to disassociate itself from the comments made by Mr Hughes, who works for the neighbouring Cotswold and Vale PCT.

Joanna Wynn, spokesman for the Cotswold PCT, admitted Mr Hughes had become confused with the planned closure of Bradford-on-Avon Hospital, which is run by a third Primary Care Trust - West Wiltshire.

She said: "Malmesbury Hospital is not set to close, but services there are in the process of changing. This may mean more demand for outpatient services at Tetbury.

"We apologise for any confusion this comment may have caused." When asked if Cirencester Hospital was still financially viable despite the PCT's deficit and continued overspending, Ms Wynn said: "Cirencester Hospital is not under any threat of closure. The hospital has been proven viable when viewed within the new Payment by Results system - and this is a matter of fact, not speculation.

"The new system is helping us to plan our budget more precisely. We are still over spending and it is something we want to control.

"Viable means it is secure. That doesn't mean there won't be changes but the hospital won't be closed."

Cotswold MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown commented: "They will not be allowed to spend money they haven't got. In order to do that they will have to shut beds, it's the only way they will live within their resources.

Ms Wynn did confirm the PCT was looking at reducing the number of beds at hospitals in Bourton, Moreton and Fairford to cut costs, but in return outpatient services would be improved.

But she would not confirm or deny whether beds would be shut to safeguard Cirencester.

She said: "We currently have a deficit of £5.5 million. According to the Department of Health, we receive more annual funding than the national allocation formula would indicate, and our budget is, therefore, growing at a lower than national average rate."

"We are also still over-spending by £5.5 million per year, but we have in place a plan to address this and to live within our means."