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Hospital cuts planned in most of England | Hospital cuts planned in most of England |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Plans have been put forward to cut hospital services in two-thirds of England, a BBC analysis shows. | Plans have been put forward to cut hospital services in two-thirds of England, a BBC analysis shows. |
The proposals have been made by local NHS bosses as part of a national programme to transform the health service and save money. | |
They include everything from full closures of hospitals to cutting some specialist services such as accident and emergency and stroke care. | They include everything from full closures of hospitals to cutting some specialist services such as accident and emergency and stroke care. |
Ministers argue patients will receive better care in the community. | Ministers argue patients will receive better care in the community. |
Alongside cuts to hospital care, the proposals also set out visions for better care outside of hospitals, including: | |
But a review of the plans by the King's Fund think tank warned they were not always credible because there were not enough services outside of hospitals and there was a lack of money to invest in more. | |
It warned community services were already "feeling the strain" and could not currently cope with an increase in workload. | |
And the King's Fund said further reductions in the number of hospital beds could de-stabilise services that were already "stretched to their limits" following the difficult winter. | And the King's Fund said further reductions in the number of hospital beds could de-stabilise services that were already "stretched to their limits" following the difficult winter. |
Need help finding out which region you are in? See the map at the foot of the page. | Need help finding out which region you are in? See the map at the foot of the page. |
In total, 44 local plans have been drawn up across England. | In total, 44 local plans have been drawn up across England. |
The BBC has analysed each one and has identified 28 that mention some form of cut to local hospitals. | The BBC has analysed each one and has identified 28 that mention some form of cut to local hospitals. |
These include: | These include: |
The proposals - known as sustainability and transformation plans - have been drawn up as part of NHS England's five-year strategy to release £22bn of efficiency savings by 2020. | |
Reviews were set up in early 2016 and consultations on major changes will take place later this year with the hope implementation will follow soon after. | Reviews were set up in early 2016 and consultations on major changes will take place later this year with the hope implementation will follow soon after. |
But the King's Fund warned the changes could be subject to legal challenges. | But the King's Fund warned the changes could be subject to legal challenges. |
How closing hospital services can be good thing | |
Stroke care in London is now world class - and it is all because some services were shut down. | |
The capital's stroke care was overhauled in early 2010. Instead of being spread across 30 hospitals as they used to be, services are now centralised on eight "super sites". | |
It has meant patients get fast, 24-hour access to the best care, saving hundreds of lives a year. | |
If a stroke is suspected, a patient is immediately taken to one of the eight centres. There they are assessed by a stroke specialist and given a brain scan within 30 minutes of arrival. | |
However, Prof Chris Ham, the think tank's chief executive, said they were still the "best hope of delivering essential reforms" in the NHS, as care needed to be moved out of hospital. | However, Prof Chris Ham, the think tank's chief executive, said they were still the "best hope of delivering essential reforms" in the NHS, as care needed to be moved out of hospital. |
This is seen as vital because the ageing population and growth in long-term conditions such as dementia and heart disease mean people are more likely to benefit from support in the community to stay well rather than inpatient hospital care when their health deteriorates. | This is seen as vital because the ageing population and growth in long-term conditions such as dementia and heart disease mean people are more likely to benefit from support in the community to stay well rather than inpatient hospital care when their health deteriorates. |
'Sustainable change' | |
But Prof Ham said this could not be done without extra funding - and urged the government to find the money to invest in the services to enable transformation to happen. | But Prof Ham said this could not be done without extra funding - and urged the government to find the money to invest in the services to enable transformation to happen. |
A £1.8bn pot set aside this year for funding transformation had already been swallowed up by deficits, figures released on Monday showed. | A £1.8bn pot set aside this year for funding transformation had already been swallowed up by deficits, figures released on Monday showed. |
"Local plans must be considered on their merits, but where a convincing case for change has been made, ministers and local politicians should back NHS leaders," Prof Ham said. | "Local plans must be considered on their merits, but where a convincing case for change has been made, ministers and local politicians should back NHS leaders," Prof Ham said. |
A Department of Health spokesman said extra money was being invested in the NHS this Parliament. | A Department of Health spokesman said extra money was being invested in the NHS this Parliament. |
"These NHS plans - developed by local doctors, hospitals and councils working together with the communities they serve - will help patients get better care," he added. | "These NHS plans - developed by local doctors, hospitals and councils working together with the communities they serve - will help patients get better care," he added. |
A spokeswoman for NHS England said current plans offered the best hope of improving patient care in a sustainable way. | |
"They will allow the NHS to take advantage of new technologies, adopt successful practice more widely, and make practical improvements in areas that we know matter most to patients," she added. | |
"These proposals are all about putting collaboration at the heart of our care system, with health and local government working more closely together than at any time since the NHS was created. Everyone in the NHS wants help to ensure we can all get excellent care whenever we need it." | |
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1. Northumberland, Tyne and Wear | 1. Northumberland, Tyne and Wear |
2. West, North and East Cumbria | 2. West, North and East Cumbria |
3. Durham, Darlington, Tees, Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby | 3. Durham, Darlington, Tees, Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby |
4. Lancashire and South Cumbria | 4. Lancashire and South Cumbria |
5. West Yorkshire | 5. West Yorkshire |
6. Coast, Humber and Vale | 6. Coast, Humber and Vale |
7. Greater Manchester | 7. Greater Manchester |
8. Cheshire and Merseyside | 8. Cheshire and Merseyside |
9. South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw | 9. South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw |
10. Staffordshire | 10. Staffordshire |
11. Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin | 11. Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin |
12. Derbyshire | 12. Derbyshire |
13. Lincolnshire | 13. Lincolnshire |
14. Nottinghamshire | 14. Nottinghamshire |
15. Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland | 15. Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland |
16. The Black Country | 16. The Black Country |
17. Birmingham and Solihull | 17. Birmingham and Solihull |
18. Coventry and Warwickshire | 18. Coventry and Warwickshire |
19. Herefordshire and Worcestershire | 19. Herefordshire and Worcestershire |
20. Northamptonshire | 20. Northamptonshire |
21. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough | 21. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough |
22. Norfolk and Waveney | 22. Norfolk and Waveney |
23. Suffolk and North East Essex | 23. Suffolk and North East Essex |
24. Milton Keynes, Bedfordshire and Luton | 24. Milton Keynes, Bedfordshire and Luton |
25. Hertfordshire and West Essex | 25. Hertfordshire and West Essex |
26. Mid and South Essex | 26. Mid and South Essex |
27. North West London | 27. North West London |
28. North Central London | 28. North Central London |
29. North East London | 29. North East London |
30. South East London | 30. South East London |
31. South West London | 31. South West London |
32. Kent and Medway | 32. Kent and Medway |
33. Sussex and East Surrey | 33. Sussex and East Surrey |
34. Frimley Health | 34. Frimley Health |
35. Surrey Heartlands | 35. Surrey Heartlands |
36. Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly | 36. Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly |
37. Devon | 37. Devon |
38. Somerset | 38. Somerset |
39. Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire | 39. Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire |
40. Bath, Swindon and Wiltshire | 40. Bath, Swindon and Wiltshire |
41. Dorset | 41. Dorset |
42. Hampshire and the Isle of Wight | 42. Hampshire and the Isle of Wight |
43. Gloucestershire | 43. Gloucestershire |
44. Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West | 44. Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West |