CONTROVERSIAL plans have been approved for ambulances to take critically ill Cheltenham patients to Gloucester instead of the town's A&E at night.
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has decided to close Cheltenham A&E to 999 ambulance calls between 8pm and 8am from August.
Patients who need treatment from emergency medicine doctors will be taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in Gloucester instead. Only the walking wounded and those who have previously been reviewed by a GP will continue be treated at Cheltenham General Hospital at night as part of the shake-up.
Pensioner Margaret Jones said the changes would alarm people across Cheltenham.
"If you're seriously injured and it's life and death, you want to be taken to the closest hospital," the 68-year-old from Hester's Way said.
"If somebody has a heart attack in Cheltenham town centre, the extra 10 or 15 minutes it takes to drive to Gloucester could cost them their life."
Both hospitals have been struggling with staffing levels because of a national shortage of A&E doctors. As a result, the NHS has stated that it would be beneficial to bring specialist emergency medicine doctors together on one site in Gloucester.
Yesterday, Gloucestershire County Council's health and care overview and scrutiny committee approved the Trust's proposal for the changes.
This comes as a massive blow to campaigners who believe the decision to "downgrade" could pave the way for the closure of Cheltenham's A&E department altogether.
Almost 70 per cent of people who responded during three months of consultation said they agreed completely or partially with the emergency and urgent medical care plans.
However there was also "much concern" expressed by respondents that the proposals would be the "thin edge of the wedge", eventually leading to the closure of the emergency unit.
NHS Gloucestershire Hospitals Trust, which is in charge of Cheltenham General Hospital and Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in Gloucester, has said it has no plans to close the facility.
During the meeting in Gloucester, Liberal Democrats proposed to support the changes on the condition they are only in place for one year, but this motion was defeated.
Councillor Klara Sudbury (LD, Charlton Park and College) said: "The residents of Cheltenham and the east of the county, many of whom are very worried about the future of our A&E, have a right to be heard."
Shane Clark, Unison vice chairman for South West Ambulance Service condemned the move. "We cannot support the closure of services at any A&E," he said.
OPINION, P8
