Closing the A&E and intensive care departments at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital is no longer on the table as an option – but the future of maternity services remains uncertain.
The Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group Board met yesterday to consider its Case for Change plans – which many feared could have seen the closure of three key units at the hospital.
The board has now confirmed that its long-term strategy will retain a 24-hour accident and emergency department and intensive care services at the QEH.
At the meeting, the board considered evidence about changing population needs, quality and access, workforce pressures and services that are becoming increasingly difficult to sustain.
It agreed there was a ‘case for change’ and supported further work to explore how healthcare could be improved across Norfolk and Waveney.
“Maternity, neonatal and children’s services have been identified as requiring further detailed assessment. Clinicians have tested scenarios in which hospital births continue at three hospitals or are provided at two or one hospital,” said a spokesperson.
The board pointed out that what it called “scenario testing” does not represent a formal proposal or preferred option.
“The board’s agreement does not authorise the closure, relocation or reorganisation of individual services. Further assessment, involvement and formal decision-making would be required before any service changes could be agreed,” added the spokesperson.
The meeting comes after leaked plans to consider suggesting the possible closure of three units sparked huge controversy with a recent public demonstration in King’s Lynn.
Professor Lesley Dwyer, group chief executive of Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group, said: “We have a simple ambition: to provide better care for the people of Norfolk and Waveney, now and in the future.
“There is much to be proud of across our hospitals, but we also know that we do not consistently deliver the quality of care people need.
“Demand is growing, people’s needs are changing and some services are becoming increasingly difficult to staff and sustain.
“The Board has agreed that the evidence supports a case for change and that further work should now take place. This is not a decision to close or relocate individual services.
“Our hospitals will remain at the heart of the future. We want to build on their strengths, provide more care closer to where people live where appropriate, and ensure patients can access specialist expertise when they need it.”
