THE three Clincial Commissioning Groups of doctors in Worcestershire have unanimously supported the proposed new clinical model for health care in the county.
The endorsements by the organisations, NHS Redditch and Bromsgrove, NHS Wyre Forest and NHS South Worcestershire CCGs means that the model of care will now be submitted to the West Midlands Clinical Senate for review before being forwarded to NHS England for assurance.
Once the model has been assured the public will be consulted and asked for their views.
However questions remain over the viability of the plan, which has yet to be fully costed.
Locally, campaigners in Redditch have cast doubt on claims that the A&E department at the Alexandra Hospital will deal with 95 per cent of the adults it currently sees, fearing it may turn into little more than a casualty clearing station for transferring cases to the Worcestershire Hospital in Worcester.
In addition the model forsees maternity services remaining in Worcester with the Alex retaining a 24 hour assessment unit for children in A&E.
Jo Newton, the independent chair of the Future of Acute Hospital Services in Worcestershire Programme Board said: “I am delighted that the three Clinical Commissioning Groups have agreed the proposed clinical model of care for the county. The model has been drawn up by clinicians from across Worcestershire including GPs, hospital doctors and nurses and it has been tested with national experts. It offers clinically safe and sustainable services for the whole of Worcestershire.”
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust says the main proposed changes to services in the clinical model of care are:
1) Separation of emergency and planned care to improve outcomes and patient experience
2) Creation of centres of excellence for planned surgery
3) Urgent care centre for adults and children at the Alexandra Hospital
4) A&E remaining at the Alexandra Hospital (adult only) with robust arrangements for managing a seriously sick child if they arrive unexpectedly or their condition deteriorates and they need an inpatient stay in hospital
5) Centralisation of inpatient care for children at Worcester with the majority of children’s care remaining local
6) Centralisation of consultant-led births at Worcester with ante-natal and post-natal care remaining local
7) Centralisation of emergency surgery
