Worcestershire Hospitals (Hansard, 8 March 2000)

§ Mr. Gill
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what(a) change of use and (b) additional facilities are planned for the Newtown Hospital site in Worcestershire. [109826]

§ Yvette Cooper
The Newtown Hospital site will be retained for the delivery of mental health services by the newly created Worcester Community and Mental Health National Health Service Trust, which comes into effect from 1 April 2000. The site will also provide some acute services that support the new Worcestershire Acute Hospital as set out in the approved Full Business Case for a New Hospital in Worcester.
However, I understand options are currently being explored around the suitable use of the main building on the Newtown site.

§ Mr. Gill
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the new district general hospital at Worcester will be fully operational. [109827]

§ Yvette Cooper
The new £91 million Worcestershire Acute Hospital is due for completion in January 2002 and will be fully operational by the spring of 2002.

§ Mr. Gill
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what agreement has been reached between Shropshire and Worcestershire health authorities on hospital provision following the re-organisation of hospital services in Kidderminster. [109823]

§ Yvette Cooper
The Government are mindful of Worcestershire health authority's responsibilities to ensure continuity and equity of access to services to neighbouring health authorities like Shropshire.
Shropshire health authority was consulted on the proposals outlined in "Investing In Excellence" and informed of Ministers' decisions to approve the service changes and the Worcestershire Trust mergers. As soon as the clinical working group's advice on the timing of inpatient service moves from Kidderminster Hospital has been received, and a firm decision made, the two health authorities and the new Trusts will obviously discuss in full the issues for hospital services provision.

§ Mr. Gill
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when(a) psychiatry, (b) orthopaedics, (c) trauma, (d) gynaecology, (e) urology, (f) medicine, (g) vascular surgery and (h) general surgery services will cease to be provided at Kidderminster Hospital. [109825]

§ Yvette Cooper
There are no firm timescales at present regarding the movement of services from Kidderminster Hospital. Twelve clinical working groups, comprised of consultants from all three acute hospitals in Worcestershire and other healthcare professionals, have been set up to look at how and when it would be appropriate to implement the changes to inpatient services at Kidderminster as outlined in the "Investing In Excellence" strategy.
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The groups will report back to the new shadow board of the Worcestershire Acute Trust by the end of March 2000. Decisions will then be taken on timescales, following which a comprehensive public information campaign will be implemented across the county.
Kidderminster residents will still have access to 80 per cent. of the healthcare provided at Kidderminster Hospital, including outpatient clinics, day case surgery and rehabilitation and to comprehensive primary care services.