2:26pm Wednesday 27th January 2010
By Oliver Evans
BEDS are to re-open at Marlow Community Hospital – but concerns remain over its future as bosses say the site is not fit for purpose.
The overnight beds were closed in November because leaking pipes had reduced the water pressure, meaning staff could not clean bed-pans.
Bosses at NHS Buckinghamshire yesterday agreed to spend £38,526 to provide a new mains water supply.
But it said this was a temporary measure and should only be in place for up to three months.
A report says: “There would need to be a further rapid decision on inpatient beds at Marlow Hospital in the context of the further review of community hospital capacity generally.”
It says the changes, the cheapest of four options, ‘will no longer provide a sustainable and safe environment’ for overnight patients.
It ‘became clear that there were a number of aspects regarding the inpatient environment needing to be addressed’ during investigations, it found.
The other options were: permanent upgrading of the water supply (£313,062); addressing ‘infection control risks and the privacy and dignity requirements’ (£359,725) and the previous option and more refurbishment (£1.6m).
Mike Gilbert, chairman of Marlow Bottom Valley Plus, an older people’s pressure group, said: “I am concerned the hospital will be there in the future.”
He said: “It is a very unclear situation. The whole population is right to be concerned.”
In 2008 the authority – formerly the Buckinghamshire NHS Primary Care Trust – closed overnight beds at the Chalfonts and Gerrards Cross Hospital in Chalfont St Peter, citing a fire risk to patients.
And Buckinghamshire NHS Hospitals Trust is axing day clinics at Amersham Hospital. It is talking to social services chiefs over plans to put a nursing home on the site.
The NHSB also agreed to yesterday back letting the hospital authority run NHSB community hospitals, including Marlow and the Chalfonts.
It hopes this will let NHSB focus on where cash is spent rather than providing services. It chose the hospital trust over Oxford and Buckinghamshire Mental Health Foundation Trust.
Ed Macalister-Smith, NHSB chief executive, said the move ‘will benefit patients across Buckinghamshire’ as services will be run by one organisation.
And Anne Eden, chief executive of the hospital trust, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for us to develop a strong and robust working relationship and improve communications between different healthcare professionals.”
An NHSB press release said ‘GPs in Buckinghamshire have shown their support for these new arrangements’.
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