Peter Collins, Medical Director, Weston Area Health NHS Trust said:
“We would like to once again reiterate our thanks to all our staff, patients and members of the public who have taken part in Healthy Weston.
“We welcome the Clinical Commissioning Group’s Governing Body’s decision and the clarity and certainty this brings to our staff and those who need our services.
“We are committed to working with our commissioning colleagues to ensure that Weston General Hospital remains a dynamic hospital at the heart of the community, and our priority now is to work with our skilled and dedicated clinical teams to implement the proposals and make this a reality.
“There are many opportunities to grow our services, particularly for children and adolescents, and care of the frail and elderly. A decision on how we continue to provide critical care and 24/7 urgent and emergency care is also welcome and will see the A&E opening hours of 8am-10pm, which have been in place since July 2017, made permanent, with an increase in people being admitted directly onto one of our wards overnight - bypassing the need for A&E altogether.
“We note the outcome of the Health Overview Scrutiny Panel meeting and await the conclusion of their discussions with commissioners and clarity on timescales and next steps.”
ENDS