Christchurch Hospital cost-cutting measures criticised (From Bournemouth Echo)

Christchurch Hospital cost-cutting measures criticised

8:00am Friday 12th March 2010 in

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WITH reassurances given that Christchurch hospital will not be closed, attention has turned to what the future holds for the much-loved site in Fairmile.

Hospital bosses told a meeting at Christchurch Borough Council they were committed to keeping the red-brick building open but that the way care was administered was changing.

Efforts are being made by the trust to cut their budget by around £20 million over three years and the trust is looking at different ways to trim the fat including reducing length of stay in hospitals and making changes to surgery timetables and savings in management.

But at the public meeting on Monday night, some of the cost-cutting measures were met with criticism by members of the public.

Cllr Denise Jones, elderly people’s champion at Christ-church council, said: “When people moved to Christchurch hospital there was the hope they were on their way home.

“We have the largest proportion of elderly people in the country here and the trust needs to recognise that.

“Some of them do not and cannot easily get to Bournemouth, Poole or even Dorchester for treatment or to visit relatives.

“While we cannot expect things to stay like this, our special situation here does need to be taken into account.”

By reducing the length of stay for patients the trust says the total number of beds would also be reduced, with the transfer of some beds from Bournemouth to Christchurch already taken place.

Mr Spotswood also said that options for the site were largely dependent on factors including the review of other services and the future of community hospitals.

And it is hoped that a business case for one of the options will be drawn up by the end of the year.