Ward closure 'real-world impact' of finances

The closure of a hospital ward is among the "real-world impacts" of the difficulties facing a hospital trust in "financial special measures", its chief executive has told a board meeting.

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (LTH) which runs Chorley and South Ribble Hospital is funded by the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB).

The ICB has to make more than £530m in efficiency savings this financial year.

Staff on the Cuerden ward at the Chorley hospital were told last month the 24-bed facility, which is less than three years old, would shut at the end of March.

The Cuerden ward building opened in July 2022 to provide additional space for diabetes, endocrinology and other general medical patients, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Confirming the closure last month, LTH said it was part of the process of "flexing" how many beds were open according to demand, which is greatest during the winter.

However, Silas Nicholls, LTH boss acknowledged at a board meeting on Thursday the "difficult decision" also had its roots in the budgetary pressure the trust is under.

Just days earlier LTH had been placed by NHS England into the equivalent of financial special measures officially known as NHS oversight framework segment 4 along with East Lancashire Hospitals Trust, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the overarching ICB.

All of those organisations will now receive "intensive support" to recover their financial positions.

Referring to the Cuerden ward closure, Mr Nicholls said it was also the result of the fact the facility had initially been funded by additional money pumped into the NHS to deal with Covid pressures earlier in the pandemic.

One of its initial uses was to assist with patient flow through the hospital system and provide beds for those close to being discharged.

He told board members "good progress" was being made in attempts to avoid redundancies and redeploy staff in the wake of the ward closing.

"We are working to make sure that no staff lose their jobs over this," he said.

Mr Nicholls said the aim was to repurpose the modular-designed building for another use, rather than leave it vacant.

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