NHS cuts to beds, A&Es and maternity units that ‘put lives at risk’ are ‘being hidden from the public’
Report warns public left in the dark as NHS England ordered local managers to keep plans secret until they were finalised
NHS plans for sweeping hospital cuts are “potentially catastrophic” and could put lives at risk.
A report warns the public has been left in the dark about proposals to axe beds, A&Es and maternity units.
Think-tank The King’s Fund criticised NHS bosses for meddling and for insisting the “modernisation” plans stay under wraps.
Patients’ groups warn that the focus had shifted from providing better care to saving cash.
NHS England ordered local managers to keep the plans secret until they were finalised.
But after a backlash, around a third of drafts have now been leaked or published. They reveal plans to close entire hospitals, although they also include schemes to tackle unhealthy life-styles and beef up GP provision.
The King’s Fund said the measures were the “right thing to do, but being done badly”.
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Chief Chris Ham said there were too many “heroic assumptions” and only a third had a good chance of succeeding.
Dr Tajek Hassan, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “Secretly producing plans without involving patients is wholly unacceptable.”
He said A&E closures would be “potentially catastrophic”.
Katherine Murphy, from the Patients Association, said the focus had shifted from providing better care to saving cash.
Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS medical director, said the service needs to make “common sense and overdue” changes and all plans would be published by the end of the year.
Leaders lack skills
THE NHS is short of good leaders, its boss says.
Simon Stevens said some local chiefs spent too much time “box- ticking and explaining why it’s all gone t**ts up” instead of trying to improve patient care.
The NHS England chief executive said town hall bosses may be brought in to do the job better.
He added: “At some point the British people will need to put their hands in their pockets if they want to see a continued improvement in growth of what the NHS can do.”