THE closure of Westbury hospital is an example of what not to do to health services, local MP Andrew Murrison has said, as recent figures show the NHS to be under crippling pressure.
Dr Murrison, a former Army medical officer and former secretary to the Health Secretary, made the comments last week when it was revealed that one in ten emergency patients (11%) had to wait more than four hours for a hospital bed this year.
The figure is almost five times higher than it was in 2010/11.
Andrew Murrison MP is currently opposing plans to remove beds from a community hospital in Shaftesbury, and says community beds should be protected in order to relieve pressure on acute hospitals.
He told White Horse News, “The closure of community hospital beds is becoming more common. The Sustainability and Transformation Plans just published by Dorset recommend removing beds at Shaftesbury, which some of my constituents use.
“Commissioners should recognise that keeping people in acute beds unnecessarily is very expensive and that community hospital beds are relatively inexpensive and better for step up and step down care.”
Andrew Murrison MP had also supported the unsuccessful campaign to try and save Westbury’s hospital.
“The changes proposed by [Dorset] CCG emphasise preventative and community-based health services, potentially replacing community hospital beds in hospitals such as Shaftesbury with new community ‘hubs’. Well, we’ve already been there in Westbury, have we not, and nobody’s happy.”
When asked whether he thought what happened to Westbury hospital is an example of what not to do to health services, and whether the town is worse off without the hospital, Dr Murrison said, “Yes, of course.”
