Plan to treat patients outside hospital means Horton bed cuts

Keep the Horton General said hospital staff understood the hospital would have 36 fewer beds. Oak Ward will cease to be an acute medical ward and will take half of F-Ward’s beds. The remainder of F Ward beds will become emergency assessment beds to relieve A&E blockages.

The group said as well as the beds lost, 60 jobs will be ‘redeployed’ by October 3.

Director of Clinical Services Paul Brennan said the plans will allow development of ambulatory care, which is treatment without overnight stay.

“We have been consulting with staff on plans to reconfigure some wards to meet the needs of our patients,” he said.

“The changes are to provide the same model of care for general medical patients at the Horton and at the John Radcliffe Hospital... to provide consistent, quality care.

“The proposals involve Oak Ward being reconfigured to care for orthopaedic patients and short-stay medical patients. This will include 18 beds for orthopaedic patients and 18 beds for short stay medical patients. This provides an increase in the number of medical short stay beds from 8 to 18. Our stroke patients, currently cared for on Oak Ward, will move to a quieter environment.”

“We will see the same number of patients at the Horton but provide home-based care and care in the Rowan Day Hospital as appropriate. Patients who need to be admitted will be admitted to the increased number of short-stay medical beds or to a general medical bed.”