Bishop’s Castle Community Hospital is to temporarily close on safety grounds following long-standing staffing issues.
Shropshire Community Health Trust today said that it had taken the difficult decision after it became extremely difficult to maintain the qualified staffing levels required to run the hospital.
No new admissions will be accepted from today, with all current inpatients assessed and discharged to the appropriate place of care by the end of the month.
A spokesperson for Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust said:
“Shropshire Community Health Trust (SCHT) can today confirm that Bishop’s Castle Community Hospital is set to be temporarily closed on safety grounds.
“SCHT is committed to providing high quality care, and this has proved to be extremely challenging at Bishop’s Castle due to long-standing staffing issues.
“Recruitment has been a problem for several years. For the last six months, it has become extremely difficult to maintain the qualified staffing levels required to run the hospital. This has been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, which has and continues to impact us severely.
“We have been actively managing the issues with our fantastic staff, but despite their best endeavours we have been unable to secure the right level of substantive staff to deliver optimum care to patients.
“We have therefore taken the difficult decision as a Trust to temporarily close the hospital. New admissions will cease from the end of the week. All current inpatients will be assessed and discharged to the appropriate place of care by Sunday 31 October 2021.
“As part of our system Local Care Transformation Programme, we will continue with our plans that aim to engage, involve and co-design new models of care with residents and communities, with a focus on prevention and promoting good health and wellbeing. The first phase of our engagement will commence during the winter months.”
Local MP, Philip Dunne, has called for the safe resumption of services at Bishops Castle Community Hospital as soon as possible, following announcement of a temporary closure.
Mr Dunne said: “I have discussed this planned closure to new admissions with Shropcom’s new Chief Executive, who has assured me this a temporary measure, pending recruitment of new qualified nursing staff. While it is not clear how long this will take, I have been assured that the decision has been taken on patient safety grounds, and once sufficient staff have been recruited, the hospital will resume normal service.
“The hospital at Bishop’s Castle has been dependent on qualified agency nursing staff, in recent weeks, which is not sustainable. While new staff are being recruited, I am concerned to ensure that existing staff are deployed in the local community or at Ludlow Community Hospital, to give them the stability they need during the interim period. I know the excellent GP medical practice in Bishop’s Castle is working closely with the Community Trust and hospital staff to provide advice and support to local patients.”
Dr Adrian Penney, of Bishops Castle Medical Practice, added: “The Practice has and will continue to support the Hospital, and recognises the loyalty and commitment of all the staff and is determined to retain them to work locally in the community they know. The Practice would like this to be an opportunity to develop the provision of other medical services locally in the community.”
Shropshire Councillors in the Bishop’s Castle Area have reacted angrily to the sudden closure of the town’s hospital.
Heather Kidd, Shropshire Councillor for Chirbury and Worthen, said:
“What has really annoyed me is this was done almost by stealth. Very few people knew what was going to happen.
“On the very day that the closure press releases were being sent out the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee was meeting. An emergency item should have been tabled. I will be requesting that this is examined next time we meet.
“The Committee is charged looking at the winter pressure planning for our hospitals in delivering health care, especially the number of beds available. What the Shropshire Community Health Trust should have notified the Committee and addressed the issue of removing 10 valuable hospital beds when beds are blocked at the main hospitals. This really looks as though they did not wish to discuss or reassure our residents.
“The health situation in our County is bad enough as it is without health care bodies failing to communicate with each other or our residents.
“The 10 beds at Bishop’s Castle are usually full during the winter months and the hospital plays a key role for health care in a whole swather of the South West of the County. Without these local beds people from south West Shropshire will be faced with long visitor journeys and poor public transport.
“Staffing has been quoted as the main reason for the closure, but not once have they raised this as an issue with Scrutiny. Rumour has it that there are extra beds opening in Ludlow, if so it will be interesting to see where the additional staff will come from.”
Ruth Houghton, Shropshire Councillor for Bishop’s Castle Division added:
“I have sought assurances that there will be no redundancies. I have expressed my concern that there may not be sufficient capacity in the local area, Bishop’s Castle, Clun, Chirbury to accommodate people who are in a bed currently or to facilitate hospital discharges from Shrewsbury Hospital especially on brink of winter pressures.
“I have also asked for more information on the length of time the hospital will be closed for, no plan or timescales have been provided
“The Community hospital in Bishop’s Castle has a committed staff team who provide excellent care. It is a resource that is highly valued by the local community and this temporary closure has come has a shock to local people. It is vital that a plan is developed that will address the recruitment issues so that the hospital can reopen quickly and provide safe care for patients and a safe working environment for staff both of which is essential”