The plan, aimed at addressing the fact that Stepping Hill Hospital loses £75 every minute, will see the closure of a 22-bed surgical ward and of a further 8 trauma and orthopaedic beds, and proposes to make 410 staff redundant.
Executive Councillor for Health Tom McGee said ‘This is clearly very difficult news and underlines the scale of the challenge that our local health service faces – the deficit at Stepping Hill is expected to be £40.1 million in 2016-17 out of £285 million of income.
‘The Council is working closely with Stepping Hill and our other health partners to find ways in which we can maintain excellent levels of care for local patients until this crisis is resolved.
‘The incredible healthcare professionals working at Stepping Hill do a fantastic job under increasingly difficult circumstances as cuts are imposed on the NHS in Stockport and pressure rises due to our ageing population.
‘This news reinforces the importance of integrating health and social care services in the Stockport Together Programme, as Labour is committed to doing, making sure care is provided in an appropriate setting and that patients are treated in the best way possible.’
The Clinical Commissioning Group, Foundation Trust and Stockport Council have signed an agreement to pool around £200m of their local budgets in order to better integrate services.
Councillor Tom McGee added ‘It is incredibly unfortunate that details of this confidential plan have been released to the press before all staff were made aware of them.
‘Staff will be uncertain whether or not they may be affected by these proposals, and that will understandably cause anxiety.
‘Nobody should have to find out that their job is at risk via the media, and this news shouldn’t have been used as a political football.
‘For a local political party to make it one is highly irresponsible and far from showing themselves to be on the side of staff, all they have done is create uncertainty and anxiety.’