A group of councillors have called for a public consultation into plans to close a ward at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary.
Proposed bed reductions at the Morecambe Bay health trust include proposals to shut the 24-bed Ward 23 at the RLI, to save £443,000 in 2025/6 amid ongoing financial struggles.
The ward in Medical Unit 2 at the hospital provides general medical care and treatment for patients, and focusses on care for elderly people.
The University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) said they also want to increase 'virtual ward' beds by 25 to 73 by March 2026, which enable patients to receive hospital-level care in their own homes, as well as faster discharge processes.
But a committee of Lancashire councillors voted to call for a public consultation into the plans, at a meeting last Tuesday.
The Health and Adult Services Scrutiny Committee meeting on February 3 was chaired by Lancaster councillor Hamish Mills.
Afterwards, County Councillor Mills (below), who is on Lancashire County Council and Lancaster City Council for the Greens, said: "I believe it is important the public get to have a say on bed closures in Lancaster’s hospital.
"This is hardly what we were expecting when the government announced monies for new hospitals.
"The idea of ‘virtual hospital beds’ - whereby people receive treatment or care at home are just not right for everyone.
"Not all homes can provide the same good quality service of care and people might be living alone.
"I am worried that cuts are being made following pressure from central government and that service provision for people in Lancashire and Lancaster isn't being paid attention to."
Dr Helen Skinner, chief medical officer of the trust, spoke at the meeting to explain the reasons for the proposals to close the ward.
"From a financial position we're not where we want to be," said Dr Skinner.
"That's part of the reason why we're looking at this point around bed closures."
She said the trust was "excited" to increase the number of patients having "hospital-level care at home".
"When I joined there were 46 virtual ward beds. We increased to 53, we increased to 60, then we will increase to 66 and by next month we will have 73.
"We are seeing more patients being managed at home. That's better for patients.
"There's less deconditioning and less patients get delirium or acute confusion, particularly in older people.
"We were running at around 150-170 patients in our hospitals who did not need to be here. We've got down to a lowest of 118. But it's been routinely around 120...significant numbers that we are no longer managing in hospital and who are at home instead."
Bur Dr Skinner also said: "If we do not feel it's safe to go foward we will not close the beds."
Most councillors who spoke at the meeting felt closing the ward was a "significant change" worthy of public consultation.
County Councillor Jordan Fox, of Reform UK, said: "The fact that it is a permanent removal, makes it significant. It's a permanent reduction under financial constraints."
Councillor Margaret France, of Labour, said: "I find it really hard to think that losing 24 beds can improve the general quality of care.
"Virtual wards, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Some homes are quite frankly not fit to be preparing for a person who's ill. Show me the evidence that this is going to work."
County Councillor Jan Schofield, of Reform UK, said: "I don't think I'm fully convinced that the virtual wards can absorb the demand, so I think it does represent a significant change."
But her Reform colleague County Councillor Shaun Crimmins said: "The work (of the chief medical officer) has been marvellous.
"I do think it's a drastic change but I don't think it's one that needs to go to public governance.
"These patients who are going to these virtual wards are probably getting better care. People live a better life at home."
In a vote, a majority of councillors agreed the proposal "represents a 'significant service change' which would inform an opinion on the need for a period of formal public consultation prior to implementation".
The trust also plans to reduce 18 beds at Furness General Hospital in Barrow.
A trust spokesperson said that Ward 23 is a "recently rehabilitation ward that is occupied by patients who do not meet the criteria to reside and whose care will be better served out of a hospital environment".
The trust also said that no services are being removed or reduced, and no jobs will be lost.
WATCH the meeting HERE.
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