THE massive financial problems in the local health service are beginning to bite with plans to close hospital beds in Waverley set to be agreed.
A raft of measures have been considered by health experts – including the temporary closure of both wards at Haslemere Hospital and the complete closure of Cranleigh Hospital – but so far these have been rejected.
Instead, the axe is set to fall over some beds in Farnham and Cranleigh's only ward, however further cuts could be on the horizon.
Proposals were expected to be agreed yesterday (Thursday) to temporarily close 51 beds across Waverley. These "step downs" are used by patients who no longer require a bed in an acute hospital, such as the Royal Surrey or Frimley Park, but are not yet well enough to go home.
However, 27 of these beds are to immediately "reopen" for another purpose, as health chiefs juggle its resources in a bid to save cash.
As previously reported by The Herald, the Guildford and Waverley Primary Care Trust has to plug a potential £20 million deficit over the next two years.
£10 million worth of recurring savings have to be found in this financial year and another £10 million have to be found the following year on the orders of the government.
So far this financial year, the PCT has already made a large number of savings but still needs to curb a £6.2 million overspend.
The PCT has warned residents that what they will see as cuts are necessary for the trust to sort out its finances.
Yesterday the PCT's board was due to hear that a number of cost cutting measures were on the table and had been discussed by the Professional Executive Committee (PEC) made of health experts, such as doctors and nurses.
Among the possibilities was the temporary closure of Cranleigh Hospital, the partial or complete closure of the Godwin Ward at Haslemere Hospital, and bed closures at either Cranleigh and Farnham, or Haslemere and Farnham hospitals.
Board members were due to hear yesterday that the PEC had discussed the different options and rejected the complete closure of Cranleigh as "not in line with our strategy of developing modern appropriate community- based health services".
The options to close, or partially close, Godwin Ward were also discussed by the PEC but it recommended to the board that this was not to go ahead at present.
Other services spared the axe also include community stroke, community therapy and the night response team.
However, the committee did support the plans to close the 51 "step down" beds and switch the use of 27 of them in Farnham and Haslemere, to what are called "step up" beds.
Yesterday the board was expected to agree proposals to temporarily close the 51 beds "as soon as it is clinically safe to do so" when the patients occupying them have been discharged.
The 16 beds in the Elizabeth Ward at Haslemere Hospital and 11 beds at Farnham Hospital will then be converted into "step up" beds. Patients occupying these beds will be referred from GPs and other community care workers. It is hoped that a stay in the "step up" beds and extra clinical care will prevent the need to admit the patient to an acute hospital. The remaining 24 beds – all 14 at Cranleigh and 10 at Farnham – are to be temporarily closed and it is not known when they would reopen.
If the closures and switch takes place before October 1, the measures will save the PCT £263,000 in this financial year as a result of fewer admissions to acute hospitals and a more efficient use of staff. If it is carried out by November 1, the savings will be £219,000.
"The 'step up' beds will have a higher level of clinical input and will be able to take patients direct from the community," the PCT's assistant chief executive Cheryl Hamilton explained.
"This is more efficient use of resources, the PCT will also transfer some of the budget into the community-based resources, the net savings have been calculated taking account of this."
A freeze in filling staff vacancies, the sale of surplus land in Farnham, a review of the pricing structure between the PCT and the Royal Surrey, a reduction in referrals and reducing prescription costs are also among the measures to find extra cash.
However, Milford Hospital has escaped the axe for the moment as the PCT has agreed to make no further changes to the rehabilitation hospital until the results of the consultation into its future are known.
The board yesterday was also expected debate whether the rejected schemes should be reconsidered.
South West Surrey MP Jeremy Hunt was at yesterday's meeting and was due to make a plea to the PCT that it delay its decision until November.
"The decision to temporary close beds at both Farnham and Cranleigh hospitals has been made in an unseemly rush. Despite assurances from the PCT, I do not believe that you can take money out of hospital care without negatively affecting patient care."
The proposed PCT cuts to stem a potential overspend of £20 million deficit, come in the wake of news that the Surrey and Sussex strategic health authority is top of the overspend list with the biggest deficit in the country of £30.6 million, despite record increases in government spending.
The figure is almost 20 per cent of its annual turnover.