04
Jul 2017
British Medical Association warns of impact to patients of proposed A&E cuts
Following a review of NHS savings plans, the BMA has warned that over 40 per cent of the population could be affected by the anticipated cuts to Accident and Emergency departments.
The proposals under the ‘sustainability and transformation programme’ (STP) have been put forward by 44 regional NHS managers and the BMA has found that the plans include the following:
– 18 involved the downgrading or closing of an A&E department
– 14 proposed either merging or closing a hospital
– 13 proposed closing hospital beds.
In a separate freedom of information exercise, around 50 per cent of STPs answered the requests, and it was found that over 150 new jobs had been created to run the programmes, costing £8.5m a year, and a further £1m was going towards consultants and agency staff.
Dr Mark Porter, leader of the BMA, said that the money was being “wasted” and that the changes were being “rushed through without appropriate evidence”.
NHS England have said responded by saying that changes would only happen where there was a feasible plan to improve patient care elsewhere, either through centralizing hospital care or through community services.
An NHS England spokesperson said “Rather than just commenting from the sidelines, local health and care leaders and clinicians are coming together to actually try and solve some deep-seated problems by identifying practical ways to improve services.”
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Posted by Karen Motley, Paralegal, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (karenmotley@chadlaw.co.uk), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
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