Rugby Hospital ward to close, according to MP

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The Hoskyn Ward, at the Hospital of St Cross in Rugby, is set to close, according to an MP



A ward at a Rugby hospital is to shut, according to the area's MP.

Labour's John Slinger said he was advised that Hoskyn Ward at the Hospital of St Cross would close under new plans but he had been "reassured" that despite the decision, there would be no change in access to services for Rugby residents.

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, which runs the site, has not confirmed a closure independently of Mr Slinger's comments.

The MP said he wrote to the trust after rumours began to circulate on social media on Monday about the ward's future.

He said he had been assured by a senior member of management at the trust that the move was part of a plan to get more patients from the Coventry area to be cared for from home.

"I completely understand why people are really concerned, and staff as well, about what they had seen on social media," he said.

"But what I've subsequently been informed by the trust is that this is a decision that means there will be no change in access to services for people from Rugby.

"The reason why they're looking to close the ward is that they've developed a new pathway for Coventry residents to get them home with the right care packages, which is actually a good thing for them."

Mr Slinger said he had also been assured that there would not be any job losses as a consequence of the closure.

"I'm reassured by the conversation I've had with the senior management of the hospital trust, but of course I'm waiting for their detailed statement as I'm sure others are," he added.

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'We feel forgotten as hospital plans to shut ward'



People in Rugby say they feel "forgotten" as they prepare for a second demonstration in protest over the planned closure of a hospital ward.

Hundreds of people are expected to march through the Warwickshire town on Saturday, over plans for changes at the Hospital of St Cross.

The hospital's Hoskyn Ward, accounting for 25 out of 110 beds on the site, is earmarked to close on 4 December., external

Under the plans, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust has said it has ambitious plans to redevelop the hospital and provide a high quality environment for staff and patients.

Prof Andy Hardy, UHCW's chief executive, previously said that following a review the hospital no longer needed the current number of inpatient beds.

He added the closure was in direct response to a reduction of transfers to the hospital and the trust was committed to "developing and investing in services".

However, councillor Maggie O’Rourke, from Rugby Borough Council, said people in the town were "totally frustrated."

"We feel that Rugby has been forgotten, there's lots of things that need to be addressed," she said.

"We've been overlooked because of where we are."

A previous march over the decision to close the ward in October attracted hundreds of people who were frustrated over the way changes to the hospital were being implemented.

"Time and time again there is no consultation, there's no communication from our trust to the people of Rugby," march organiser Thomas Crinigan said.

"We don't hear nothing, all we're hearing is that services are being cut."

Julie Weekes, from Keep Our NHS Public, told the BBC the ward closure was "big concern" ahead of the pressure on services over the winter.

"Clearly the people who are affected most in the winter are those who are vulnerable and particularly the elderly and yet we're going to have 25 beds fewer for those people," she said.

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Second protest held over planned ward closure



More than 400 people have marched through Rugby in protest over the planned closure of a hospital ward.

The Hospital of St Cross's Hoskyn Ward, accounting for 25 out of 110 beds on the site, is earmarked to close on 4 December, external.

A previous march last month over the decision to close the ward in the Warwickshire town also attracted hundreds.

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust has said it has ambitious plans to redevelop the hospital and provide a high-quality environment for staff and patients.

The elderly care ward is set to shut, more than a decade after the hospital lost its A&E department.

The campaigners also want better emergency care. The current urgent treatment centre is nurse-led, so many patients have to travel more than 10 miles to Coventry's University Hospital.

One protester, Robin Lightfoot, said: "We've already got a lot of elderly residents in Rugby, so why are we shutting down the... ward, when it's one of the most needed wards and it does a lot of good.

"My grandma was helped by it. A lot of people here's family members were helped by it."

Former nurse Michelle Mitchell stated: "I'm so passionate about it, I could burst into tears right now.

"It's all about lack of staff... Change the training, make it easier. We don't need university training for nurses. It's a caring vocational job."

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Hospital trust urged to rethink ward closure



Councillors in Rugby have unanimously backed a motion calling on a local NHS trust to "urgently" review its decision to close a hospital ward, in light of what it called a "lack of consultation".

The Hoskyn Ward at the Hospital of St Cross, Rugby, is earmarked to close on 4 December, external.

But in a Notice of Motion, the council criticised University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW), highlighting "disappointment" in the prior consultation process.

UHCW Chief Executive Prof Andy Hardy said it remained in constant dialogue with partners and other interested parties.

The 25-bed ward at Hospital of St Cross is primarily used to care for older adults.

However, Prof Hardy said a review concluded the hospital no longer needed the current number of inpatient beds and the closure was in direct response to a reduction in hospital transfers.

Speaking at a Rugby Borough Council meeting on Wednesday, councillors said hospital staff had told them they had not been consulted on the closure plans.

Council leader Michael Moran said there was a "a fight to be had" if NHS bosses had misled councillors over the proposed closure, amid what he called "so many inconsistencies".

"Only when we have proper transparency, facts and figures can we all be clear on the job that needs to be done," he told the meeting.

"We are not going to let this drop."

The council noted it did not receive any warning ahead of the planned closure announcement, suggesting the consultation process did not engage with "local stakeholders" prior to the decision being made.

It added: "We urge the chairman and trust board members to urgently review their decision to close Hoskyn Ward."

If the board was not willing to review the decision, the council said it would "refer the matter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, asking him to intervene".