POLITICIANS and campaigners have raised concerns over the future of health services in Bicester under sweeping plans to ‘transform’ the NHS in Oxfordshire.
Phase one of a consultation issued by Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group to streamline the local NHS has now gone live.
Although it mainly deals with the future of the Horton General Hospital in Banbury, which could lose a number of beds permanently, fears have been raised for the knock-on effects for Bicester Community Hospital on Piggy Lane.
Richard Mould, the leader of Bicester Town Council, said: “While the status of Oxfordshire’s community hospitals will not be consulted upon until phase two of the consultation, we are concerned that the outcomes determined in phase one may impact phase two, and that in turn might have a detrimental effect on healthcare in Bicester.”
It comes after months of increasing concern across North Oxfordshire about the delivery of both acute and non-emergency hospital services.