Royal Oldham chiefs to cut 23 beds

HOSPITAL beds at the Royal Oldham Hospital are being cut in a bid to improve services for patients.

A total of 23 beds on the D2 women’s medical ward are going as part of a decision to reduce the number of acute medical beds.

All ward staff will be redeployed to other areas within the hospital when it shuts at the end of May.

The decision follows a review led by senior doctors and nurses into the way acute medical services are delivered throughout the Pennine Acute Trust, which runs hospitals in Oldham, North Manchester, Bury and Rochdale.

Steve Taylor, divisional director for medicine, said making services more efficient helps reduce the length of time patients stay in hospital.

He said: “To achieve further improvements, we have reviewed the way in which we deliver acute medical services in line with national best practice. Senior doctors and nurses have been leading this review which has resulted in the decision to reduce our acute medical beds from 268 to 245.

“All the staff on the medical ward affected will be redeployed to other areas within The Royal Oldham Hospital, either to focus on rapid response to the needs of acute patients or improve nurse to patient ratios on other medical wards.

“Overall, these moves will further improve the quality of patient care, reduce the length of stay in hospital and further reduce any risks associated with health care acquired infections.”

However, the move has been met with concern and disappointment by local residents. One volunteer helper at the hospital, who did not want to be identified, said she believed it to be a cost-cutting exercise.

She said: “How will the women be cared for that would normally have been on that ward?

“What about the staff, who have marvellous expertise, work as friends and as a team, and will have only a limited choice of where they work after the closure?

“If this ward is to close, it will be a great loss to the people of Oldham.”