NHS chiefs to press on with axing intensive care beds
HEALTH bosses will press ahead with plans to reduce the number of intensive care beds at Leicester General Hospital without holding a public consultation.
Councillors on a scrutiny committee had urged them to consult on the plans, despite warnings it could put £30 million of funding at risk.
Richard Morris, director of operations and corporate affairs at Leicester City Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “The case for moving intensive care from the Leicester General site relates to the ability of the services to run safely when there are significant and ongoing operational difficulties, including staff recruitment and retention issues and concerns over the cramped layout and appropriate facilities for patient care.
“We are recommending, therefore, in the interests of ensuring continued safe ser- vices while significant capital funding is available, that the work to deliver the move of intensive care services from the General Hospital site will proceed.”
Papers released yesterday reveal that the decision was reached after the CCGs received extensive legal advice on their position, which suggested capital funding could be withdrawn if a consultation was started at such a late stage.
It could also mean a delay of a further 12 months.
Such a delay – according to the report that will go before the Leicester City CCG’s collaborative commissioning board tomorrow – could mean 1,800 patients having to travel out of the county for surgery and treatment.
The report states: “Aside from the obvious inconvenience to patients and their families, this would mean a loss of £15 million to the trust’s income, weakening its financial position, while there is not the spare capacity at other centres to absorb this volume of patients.”
Late last month the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Commission (HOSC) – made up of councillors from Leicester city and Leicestershire and Rutland county councils – slammed the area’s three CCGs and University Hospitals NHS Trust (UHL) for not carrying out a public consultation on the plans to downgrade the General’s intensive care facility.
At a special meeting of the HOSC, councillors voted in favour of a motion which read: “Despite all the information provided to the committee by the CCGs and UHL, we are not convinced that any of the reasons given preclude their responsibility to carry out public consultation.”
Health chiefs have said that in recognition of concerns raised by the Joint HOSC, they will “engage in broader discussions” at already planned engagement events that will take place later this month and in November before contracts with the preferred provider are concluded.
Mr Morris added: “These events will provide the oppor- tunity to discuss the implementation of the plans, explain to the public the clinical need and urgency and to listen to and address any concerns or suggestions the public may have.”
A £397 million bid has been made for cash from a national NHS fund for a number of local projects, including a dedicated women’s hospital and a standalone children’s hospital.
These plans will be discussed with the public at engagement events to be held later this month and next.