Protesters say ward closure is 'a direct cut to frontline services'

NHS campaigners held a protest outside of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead to criticise what they called “a direct cut to frontline services’ which “must be challenged”.

- By SAM VOLPE Health reporter [e-mail]

The protest follows the closure of ward 23 - a dementia ward - on August 20 this year.

Bosses at the Gateshead Health NHS Trust announced the closure following a formal consultation period with “colleagues, partners and stakeholders” earlier in the summer.

The move comes amid financial pressures - the trust's plan for the current financial year includes a requirement for £32.8m in cost-saving measures. When confirming the closure, bosses confirmed “this forms part of a broader move towards supporting patients in the community”.

At a meeting of Gateshead Council’s health and wellbeing committee this week, John Whalley of Keep Our NHS Public highlighted that the group wanted to see the ward reopened.

He said: “It is the view of our organisation that what has happened is not acceptable and we ask for the support of the councilors here and the overview and scrutiny committee to support us and demand ward 23 is reopened and that a public consultation takes place in the future about all significant changes to health provision in Gateshead.”