Beds 'to go' at Bristol hospitals

A Bristol MP has condemned proposals to cut up to 200 beds from the city's hospitals.

The North Bristol NHS Trust, which runs Frenchay and Southmead Hospitals, is considering making the reduction over the next 10 years.

Over this period, the population in the area is forecast to grow by nearly a fifth, says Northavon Lib Dem MP Steve Webb.

The Trust currently manages 1,628 beds and says more people will be treated closer to home in the future, and spend less time in hospital.

Mr Webb said: "Time and again, I hear from constituents whose operations have been cancelled because there were not enough beds.

Consultation

"The Trust is hoping that it can create more capacity by getting more people through more quickly, but what happens if they fail?"

In a statement, Sonia Mills, chief executive of North Bristol Trust said: "We are working with our local Primary Care Trusts in developing plans for the next ten years to provide health services which better meet the needs of our patients.

"This is to ensure that people have access to high quality care quickly, with shorter waiting times, modern hospital buildings and greater use of new technology.

"This means extending the range of services provided in local communities which will avoid patients needing to travel in to a major hospital.

"It also means being able to reduce the length of time patients need to spend in hospital and increasing the amount of day surgery. Increasingly newer technologies make this possible."

Consultation on changes to healthcare in the Bristol area are expected in January.