THE future of Biggleswade Hospital remains in doubt after NHS chiefs were grilled at a heated public meeting on Monday (June 18).
Angry attendees at the South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT) event at the Weatherley Centre in Biggleswade confronted officials over rumours that the facility will be shut down.
But SEPT chief executive Dr Patrick Geoghegan and fellow directors could not give any reassurances about the Potton Road hospital’s future.
The issue dominated a question and answer session at the end of the ‘Take it to the Top?’ meeting.
Dr Geoghegan – who said the board had expected to be questioned about the hospital – insisted that as a care provider SEPT could not make any decisions about whether it will remain open or not.
He said: “As a care provider we provide the staff and services but we do not have a say as to what happens with the buildings and hospital itself. That will be a matter for organisations like Bedfordshire PCT and Central Bedfordshire Council.”
After giving a presentation on changes made by SEPT at county hospitals, Dr Geoghegan also denied rumours that beds at the hospital have been blocked despite need from patients.
He added: “Biggleswade Hospital and the Archer Unit at Bedford Hospital are both under capacity at the moment but there are beds available if they are needed.”
This was met with angry denials from the audience and Dr William Hollington from the Ivel Medical Centre in Biggleswade then addressed the meeting.
He said patients he had tried to refer to the hospital for treatment had not been accepted by SEPT.
Richard Winters, executive director of integrated services – Bedfordshire and Luton admitted that this was the case.
But he said: “Having looked at the specific details of the patients it has become clear that they were being referred for treatment which SEPT is not commissioned to provide.”
For the full story see the Biggleswade Chronicle of Friday, June 22, 2012.