THE West Midlands Clinical Senate (WMCS) has approved the clinical model for acute hospital services in Worcestershire put forward by the Future of Acute Hospital Services in Worcestershire (FOAHSW) Programme Board.
The trust says the main proposed changes to services in the proposed clinical model of care are:
- Separation of emergency and planned care to improve outcomes and patient experience.
- Creation of centres of excellence for planned surgery
- Urgent care centre for adults and children at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch
- A&E remaining at the Alexandra Hospital (adult only) with robust arrangements for managing a seriously sick child if they arrive unexpectedly or their condition deteriorates and they need an inpatient stay in hospital
- Centralisation of inpatient care for children at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester with the majority of children’s care remaining local
- Centralisation of consultant-led births at Worcester with ante-natal and post-natal care remaining local
- Centralisation of emergency surgery at Worcester
The model will now be subject to assurance by NHS England before it is put to public consultation later this year.
The FOAHSW Programme Board has welcomed the findings of the West Midlands Clinical Senate.
Jo Newton, the board’s independent chair, said: “We are pleased that the West Midlands Clinical Senate has confirmed that the clinical model which has been developed by clinicians from across Worcestershire has been accepted as being clinically safe and sustainable.
“Their support enables us to move to the next stage of the process.”
However Neal Stote, chairman of the Save the Alex campaign, voiced concerns over the capacity of Worcestershire Royal to accept the expected influx of patients, how financially sound the model was, given that the Trust recorded a £55 million deficit last year, and the confusion the public would face given the lack of information about where residents should go in an emergency.
“We still have grave concerns for the new model and we have seen no financial model that this will help the Trust to break even either.
“On paper it’s a step forward, but actually delivering it?
“And how will you get it through to parents what is and what isn’t done at the Alex? It can only spread confusion.”
A spokeswoman for FOAHSW said: “We are not closing Accident and Emergency in Redditch, which I think was the main concern of most people.
“Issues of capacity finance will be examined at the next stage of the process by NHS Assurance and we are continuing our talks with the county council and community transport providers.”
She added that health chiefs hoped that the new model would be able to go out for public consultation in September.
To see a full copy of the report, click southworcsccg.nhs.uk/home/documents-publications/
