Hospital trust urged to rethink ward closure

Councillors in Rugby have unanimously backed a motion calling on a local NHS trust to "urgently" review its decision to close a hospital ward, in light of what it called a "lack of consultation".

The Hoskyn Ward at the Hospital of St Cross, Rugby, is earmarked to close on 4 December.

But in a Notice of Motion, the council criticised University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW), highlighting "disappointment" in the prior consultation process.

UHCW Chief Executive Prof Andy Hardy said it remained in constant dialogue with partners and other interested parties.

The 25-bed ward at Hospital of St Cross is primarily used to care for older adults.

However, Prof Hardy said a review concluded the hospital no longer needed the current number of inpatient beds and the closure was in direct response to a reduction in hospital transfers.

Speaking at a Rugby Borough Council meeting on Wednesday, councillors said hospital staff had told them they had not been consulted on the closure plans.

Council leader Michael Moran said there was a "a fight to be had" if NHS bosses had misled councillors over the proposed closure, amid what he called "so many inconsistencies".

"Only when we have proper transparency, facts and figures can we all be clear on the job that needs to be done," he told the meeting.

"We are not going to let this drop."

The council noted it did not receive any warning ahead of the planned closure announcement, suggesting the consultation process did not engage with "local stakeholders" prior to the decision being made.

It added: "We urge the chairman and trust board members to urgently review their decision to close Hoskyn Ward."

If the board was not willing to review the decision, the council said it would "refer the matter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, asking him to intervene".

In response, the chief executive of the NHS Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board, Phil Johns, said: "We continue to recognise the importance of the Hospital of St Cross as a vital resource for the local community."

The decision to close the ward would have "minimal impact" on the care residents were able to receive, he added.

In recent weeks, campaigners have taken part in two protests against the planned closure, with hundreds of people marching through the Warwickshire town on both occasions.

Previously, Thomas Crinigan, who organised the marches, told the BBC there had been a lack of consultation and communication by the NHS trust.

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