NHS staff not consulted over ward changes, MP says
Tim FarronSome NHS staff do not feel like they were consulted over moves to shut a rehabilitation and community hospital ward, an MP has claimed.
Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, criticised University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Foundation Trust (UHMBT) over its decision to repurpose some wards at Furness General Hospital and Westmorland General Hospital.
He said staff had told his team they were not consulted and that the decisions were "damaging".
But UHMBT said it shared the plans with staff in January 2025 for feedback and "no new issues were raised".
The trust said its moves had been approved by the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) and NHS England.
A rehabilitation ward at Westmorland General has already been formally closed as part of the plans.
Farron said the ward had typically been used by older people who were "probably medically fit" to leave hospital but just needed a bit of extra help.
He called the decision "ludicrous" as the ward had helped to "alleviate" pressure on high bed occupancy rates in the region.
He also said staff had told them they were worried about the upcoming closure of Abbey View, a community hospital ward, at the Furness facility.
The ward is "effectively" an end of life ward, said Farron.
It is due to be shut in August.
"By closing it you are putting pressure back on families and back on the local hospices," he said.
He said he understood the trust needed to make savings but said NHS staff had told his team that these were "bad decisions".
Catherine Burn, head of St Mary's Hospice in Cumbria, said her team was working with health colleagues to "understand the potential impact of these changes".
"While we recognise the challenges, we are confident that our services can accommodate a modest increase in demand," she said.
The trust said the ICB and NHS England had supported its approach which had been based on "listening to and engaging with our colleagues and wider stakeholders".