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Moretonhampstead Hospital closes to inpatients for 3 months

The hospital will temporarily close to impatients on 31 January 2013, for 3 months. The hospital trust will then review the decision. All clinics and outpatient services will carry on as normal.

There are currently 8 inpatients at the hospital, 4 of whom will be ready to leave once the weather improves. No others will be admitted.

The Board took the view that we could not be assured that there was sufficient consistency in the safety and quality of inpatient services provided at the hospital. It is not a decision we took lightly and in coming to it, we took into account the views of clinicians and support staff working in the Moretonhampstead area.

– Trust Chair, Roger French

We face significant challenges in providing a safe inpatient service in such a rurally isolated and small hospital. Giving staff access to sufficient numbers of patients to maintain their core clinical competencies is not possible at Moretonhampstead.

– Dr John Coop, Associate Medical Director for the Trust