AN investigation will be launched into why proposed changes to Furness General Hospital are set to take place without a public consultation.
Furness Locality Board, made up of councillors, is set to carry out an investigation in early December into why the proposed shake up to wards at Barrow’s hospital by University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) is due to be carried out without public input.
According to a report prepared by UHMBT, the trust ‘understands’ the level of interest the community has in its local hospital but adds: “The current plans do not require public consultation at this stage as there are no changes or reductions to the provision of services.”
Several wards are due to be repurposed or closed as part of a restructuring to beds at the hospital, however in a report the trust says the changes do not mean that services are stopped or reduced, but where they are provided within the hospital and the community may change.
READ MORE: Furness General Hospital: Councillors to discuss proposed changes
Westmorland and Furness Councillors have called an extraordinary meeting of the adults and health scrutiny committee which will take place on November 27 at Barrow Town Hall to discuss the changes.
The council say the decision to call an extraordinary meeting reflects the ‘significant concerns’ of committee members, and other local community representatives, about the planned reconfiguration of wards and beds and the level of public and stakeholder engagement undertaken to this point.
The meeting will provide an opportunity for committee members to ask questions and for NHS representatives to provide further detail behind the plans and explain the reasoning for their approach to public engagement so far.
Committee will consider the feedback and whether to make recommendations for action.
Chair of the adults and health scrutiny committee councillor Dyan Jones said: “The changes planned at Furness General Hospital are understandably causing real public concern, as is the approach that the NHS has taken in reaching this decision.
READ MORE: Barrow MP's fears for Furness General Hospital amid ward closure
“Committee was made aware of these plans only shortly before the information became public, and just a few weeks before some of the changes would be made. In these circumstances we felt it was necessary to take the unusual step of calling an extraordinary meeting to ensure these plans could be properly scrutinised in public.
“The committee understands the financial pressures facing the NHS and that decisions must be made about how to best use the resources available, but where those decisions are significant, we do have a duty to ask questions and represent our community.”
Chair of Furness Locality Board Councillor Tony Callister added: “I welcome that the decisions made by the Trust are being looked at by our scrutiny committee. In addition, Furness Locality Board will also be undertaking an investigation in early December into why these decisions have been made without consultation.”
Members of the scrutiny committee will discuss the proposed changes at Barrow Town Hall at 1.30pm on November 27.
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