'No decisions made' on inpatient beds at Shropshire community hospitals

Shropshire Clinical Commissioning has approved a new operational plan for 2016/17, which it says will focus more on supporting people with "complex discharge needs" in their own homes.

It had led to campaign group Shropshire Defend Our NHS claiming that inpatient beds at community hospitals in Bishop's Castle, Bridgnorth, Ludlow and Whitchurch could be cut.

But Richard Caddy, spokesman for Shropshire CCG, today insisted no decisions on beds at the hospitals had been taken – and that consultation would be carried out before any ruling was made.

The operational plan states that historically the county has had a predominantly bed-based model of intermediate care, delivered principally through its community hospitals.

But it said that Integrated Community Services (ICS) had now been fully established after being prototyped over the last two years.

ICS is a new team of specialists who support people being discharged from acute hospitals into their homes.

It says: "In 2016/17 we plan to increase the proportion of people with complex discharge needs who are discharged home to receive rehabilitation and enablement support.

"This will improve outcomes for patients and reduce costs for the CCG."

Sue Campbell, a supporter of Shropshire Defend Our NHS, said: "Services at home can work very well for some people - but not for everyone, and not all the time.

"If you leave someone who is very ill and very frail on their own, with only occasional visits, in practice that means people on their own in pain, or scared, or lying in soiled sheets - or falling because they get up when they're not well enough.

"You can't just magic away a need for hospital beds."

The group has also expressed concerns over public consultation on any plans to cut inpatient beds.

Mr Caddy said: "Any decision involving the commissioning of community bed spaces will involve consultation with members of the public."