What do you know about planned NHS cuts?

The NHS funding crisis could lead to closures of hospitals and various services across England, with secretive plans being currently developed to “transform” care.

The moves are being made to tackle huge funding gaps, and an investigation by the Guardian and campaign organisation, 38 Degrees has revealed some of the details. The NHS plans, called Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) cover 44 geographical areas of England, and the majority of them have not been published.

What has been uncovered so far

According to the investigation:

• Council leaders have refused to sign up to a plan to “transform” NHS services amid fears two major London hospitals, Ealing and Charing Cross, are to be downgraded and will lose their A&E units and other acute services, the Guardian can reveal.
  

• In The Black Country, there are plans for major changes to frontline services at Midland Metropolitan Hospital including the closure of the hospital’s A&E. The plans also propose to close one of two District General Hospitals as part of a planned merger.

• In Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, there are plans to reduce the number of hospitals in the area from three to two. There are also plans to put GP surgeries under “review” because of a shortage of funding.

• In Suffolk and North East Essex, the plan refers to “reconfiguration of acute services within our local hospital, Colchester Hospital University Trust”. Historically, “reconfiguration” in the NHS has meant cuts. There are also plans to close GP practices.

• In Dorset, hospital beds are at risk and a funding shortage of £158 million is predicted in five years. Consideration is being given for ‘consolidation’ of hospitals and acute services;

• In West, North and East Cumbria, the public plan refers to “reconfiguration of all of the services… including for acute and community hospital services, maternity services and mental health services.”

• A leaked draft plan circulating amongst NHS Managers in West Yorkshire reveals proposals to close the equivalent of 5 wards in the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust. It also proposes a “major reconfiguration” of frontline NHS services in Wakefield and North Kirklees and Calderdale and Huddersfield.

How you can help

The investigation has found that the plans to close services, appear to have had little input from patients and the public. Despite being due to be signed off in October this year, many draft plans are still secret.

So that we can report on this more fully, we would like you to help us find out more about NHS services in England that are under threat. Do you know of any planned cuts in your area or more about the ones included in this article? We also want to hear what the impact will be on people if these cuts go ahead.

If you have any information for our journalists or want to tell us how you may be affected, please fill in the form below, anonymously if you wish. We will contact you before publishing.

What do you know about planned NHS cuts?