Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the future of Kidderminster Hospital will be fully considered in the Sustainability and Transformation Plan for Worcestershire.

This is a matter for the local National Health Service organisations. NHS England advises that the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) aims to improve the quality of care provided across the region, address the gaps and inconsistencies that exist and use resources to the best effect, including the estate. In particular, the draft Herefordshire and Worcestershire STP commits to exploring how a greater proportion of routine elective activity can be delivered across the existing sites to reduce the risk of cancellations and to improve clinical outcomes.

The specific proposals for hospital services in Worcestershire have been reviewed as part of the Future of Acute Hospital Services in Worcestershire (FOAHSW) programme of work and are due to go out for public consultation shortly. These proposals see a strong future for Kidderminster Hospital and Treatment Centre in support of the overall delivery of the strategy. The proposals include moving more planned operations to Kidderminster Treatment Centre and further expanding the work carried out from this facility. Services at Kidderminster Hospital would be maintained, and there is scope for additional investment and more services at the hospital in the next few years.

The STP is supportive of the FOAHSW proposals, and any additional changes to how services are provided would be subject to local engagement and more formal public consultation where appropriate.