Possible hospital bed reductions in the pipeline (From Gazette & Herald)

Possible hospital bed reductions in the pipeline

11:30am Wednesday 5th December 2012 in News By Karen Darley

NHS North Yorkshire and York says it may have to reduce the number of hospital beds as it looks to cut a £19million deficit.

Christopher Long, chief executive of the trust, has announced it has brought in management consultants KPMG, to help develop a long-term strategy.

He said: “As part of this long-term strategy, we are not planning to close any district general hospitals and we will not be proposing to move to a single maternity and paediatric unit for North Yorkshire.

“Importantly, there will be a continued provision of A&E and maternity services in Scarborough.

“We will be looking to change how we use our community hospitals and how we use community health services most effectively – helping patients remain in their own homes and reducing the need for hospital admissions.”

A shortlist of cost-saving measures is expected to go before NHS North Yorkshire and York’s board on January 22.