Like other NHS providers in Lancashire and South Cumbria, we are facing a significant financial challenge. If we do nothing different, we won’t have the financial resources to see out the rest of this financial year, and are at risk of not having the required money in the bank by January 2026 to pay the things we need to. That is leading to some very serious decisions around things like what beds we can provide, what amount of elective activity we do, and what we can and can’t pay for.
We know that right-sizing the bed base can positively impact on how our hospitals run and ensure that patients are only in hospital when they absolutely need to be. The simple fact is that whilst the plans to reduce the bed base are the right ones, we ideally wouldn’t be doing it during winter with the operational issues this period brings. However, we know we aren’t operating in an ideal world and given the financial challenge, we had to ask ourselves what need to be true for us to reduce these beds safely - even at this time of year.
Our clinical and operational experts have worked up plans that mean that we are now able to move forward with reducing our bed base at both the RLI and FGH. The actions that have contributed to this position are:
-
Significant work with partners to reduce the number of patients Not Meeting the Criteria to Reside (NMC2R) from a chronic number of around 170 to a sustained level of around 130. These patients should have their needs met in an appropriate setting which is not a hospital bed
-
Increasing the number of virtual ward beds by 25 beds to a total of 73 by the end of March, and a proactive drive to increase the number of suitable patients referred and accepted to a virtual ward
-
A structured improvement programme that will improve Board Rounds and Criteria-led discharge - all elements that will improve flow through our hospital
-
Worked effectively with teams in the Trust and with partners in Local Authority to significantly reduce delays for patients requiring therapy or reablement
-
Opening of additional intermediate care beds in South Cumbria for patients that need ongoing therapy or rehabilitation support
It is important to note that no services are being removed or reduced, and no colleagues will lose their jobs.
The changes we are making include:
- Royal Lancaster Infirmary (RLI):
-
Closing Ward 23 (24 beds) - a recently rehabilitation ward that is occupied by patients who do not meet the criteria to reside and who's care will be better served out of a hospital environment
-
Savings: £443,000 in 2025/26
-
This change will likely require the NHS Service Change process so we can't confirm timings at this time
-
- Furness General Hospital (FGH):
-
Reducing 18 beds across three large wards:
-
Ward 6 will reduce from 35 beds to 29 beds
-
Ward 7 will reduce from 36 beds to 27 beds
-
Ward 9 will reduce from 33 beds to 30 beds
-
-
Closing four rarely used beds overnight on Ward 1 (they remain open during the day)
-
Sensitive Gynaecology patients requiring overnight admission will be cared for in ringfenced side rooms with en-suite facilities on Ward 5
-
Savings: £325,000 in 2025/26
-
Consultation with colleagues will begin on 29 December and beds will start to close in a phased way from 21 January 2026
-
- Virtual Wards:
-
Virtual Wards, or "hospital at home," allow patients to receive hospital-level care in their own homes, using technology like apps, wearables (blood pressure/oxygen monitors), and remote monitoring to keep a multidisciplinary health team updated on their vital signs and recovery
-
We are working to increase the number of Virtual Ward beds by 25 - reaching a total of 73 beds by March 2026
-
-
Improved discharge and flow:
-
Faster discharge processes and the use of more community options
-
-
Referral to Treatment elective care
-
Currently 68% of patients referred to us receive their first treatment within 18 weeks. While NHS England wanted us to go further we have taken the decision to maintain this performance. This means no patient will wait any longer than they currently do.
-
Patient safety remains our top priority and we will closely monitor the impact and reopen beds should patient or colleague safety be compromised.
These decisions are incredibly difficult, but they are essential to protect the long-term sustainability of local NHS services.