19. Herefordshire and Worcestershire
In October 2018, the chief executives of NHS England and NHS Improvement wrote to all STP leaders instructing them to come up with new five year STP plans by autumn 2019. The new five-year plans will replace those which were previously drawn up based on the previous five-year funding settlement to 2020-21. The new five year STP will be developed based on a new NHS England budget.
The letter notes that “It will be extremely important that you develop your plans with the proper engagement of all parts of your local systems and that they provide robust and credible solutions for the challenges you will face in caring for your local populations over the next five years.”
NOTE: The information on this page relates to the original STP drawn up in 2016, however much of the information is still relevant and could be part of the new STP.
What does the STP mean for your area?
Health planners are trying to reduce NHS deficits and think about ways to re organise care. However getting the large deficits under control could prevent facilities being developed that can cope with the health and care social needs of local people.
Proposed cuts
The A&E at Alexandra Hospital in Redditch will be downgraded and replaced with a single emergency centre with specialist services in Worcester, and two emergency centres in Hereford and Redditch.
Maternity services are likely to be cut from Redditch, with all services centralised at the Royal Worcester site.
A 62% reduction in the number of community hospital beds in Herefordshire and a 44% reduction in the number of community hospital and resource centre beds in Worcestershire. Plus an unspecified reduction in the number of acute beds in Worcestershire. Overall, this amounts to a loss of 142 community beds in Worcestershire and 60 in Herefordshire, or 44% of community beds.
Changes in who organises our care
Community care will be developed using the Multispeciality Community Provider model, one for Worcestershire and one for Herefordshire.