Hospital confirms wards may shut

The East Kent trust runs the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford

A hospital trust in Kent has confirmed it is considering ward closures at Ashford's William Harvey Hospital as part of measures designed to save £35m.

East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust said the closures were in the second phase of a plan, announced in April, to close 160 beds over two years.

Ashford Tory MP Damian Green said he feared the hospital would be unable to cope with any winter health crisis.

The trust said closing wards was the most efficient way to cut costs.

"If you have no slack in the system, what happens when you get a winter flu crisis or outbreaks of hospital-related infections?" said Mr Green.

I have some sympathy with the trust because it is being forced to cut costs Damian Green

The trust said improved patient care and a reduction in the length of time patients stayed in hospital had enabled the number of beds to be cut.

It said nursing staff would be offered other jobs at William Harvey.

"I have some sympathy with the trust because it is being forced to cut costs because of the way the government calculates money that is given to different parts of the NHS," said Mr Green.

Meanwhile, Labour MP Gwyn Prosser is leading a march in Dover on Saturday against the feared closure of Buckland Hospital, also run by East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust.

"When they initially took away acute services from Buckland the bargain was that you would be able to recuperate there after treatment at one of the bigger hospitals," said Mr Prosser.

"That is the position they now want to withdraw from.

"The people of Dover have shouted loud and clear - with more than 10,000 people signing a petition against these changes and I hope the health trust will listen."