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Hospital beds to go in service shake-up
HOSPITAL bosses have confirmed Clifton Hospital will not be closing – but 24 beds are to be lost along with 40 jobs.
Chiefs at Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have insisted they have "no plans to close" the hospital, which provides renal care and dermatology services.
The reassurance comes after concerned patients contacted The Gazette saying they had heard rumours the hospital was to shut.
But bosses say they are changing some of the services at the hospital.
The changes will mean a loss of 40 jobs at the hospital, but the trust says it "is committed to no redundancies."
Staff are being interviewed to discuss whether they want to work in a new orthopaedic rehab unit at Clifton or would prefer to work elsewhere in the hospital trust.
One 24-bed ward, which was temporarily closed in October last year for refurbishment, has remained closed as rehabilitation care for the elderly was provided from other facilities.
Wards three and four are to become one 24-bed ward dedicated to orthopaedic rehabilitation.
Currently 70 staff work on the two wards but after the changes this would drop to 16 full-time nurses, one part-time and 12 health care assistants.
But hospital chiefs say they plan to change the way services operate to make them more efficient, meaning patients will not need to stay in hospital as long and fewer beds will be needed.
Harry Clarke, director of operations for scheduled care, said: "There are no plans to close Clifton Hospital.
"If the trust was to consider making any significant changes to the types of health services provided or changes to where those health service are provided from, this would be done through public consultation."
The new dedicated orthopaedic ward which will have greater consultant input and seven day physio and occupational therapy provision and better equipment.
Hospital bosses say this will mean "increased fast track rehabilitation" and "shorter stays in hospital".
A review is also being carried out of dermatology and rheumatology services to make sure they are "best meeting the needs of the local population."
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Weather for Blackpool
Sunday 12 February 2012
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Temperature: 4 C to 7 C
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