Axe could fall on Wolverhampton's West Park Hospital

The three-ward facility in Park Road West, Wolverhampton, provides rehabilitation services for patients with neurological disorders and those who have suffered strokes.

Bosses at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, are assessing whether those services could be better delivered elsewhere.

But they have stressed the hospital will not be closed before a public consultation.

Trust chief executive David Loughton said: "The trust is always looking to improve the way in which we can provide the best possible care for every single one of our patients and this includes looking at the best location for this care to be delivered.

"The care provided at West Park hospital by our staff is an essential part of the services we deliver. There are no plans to cut services and no plans for any redundancies.

"What we are doing is looking at whether West Park as a building is the best place to deliver these services.

"This process requires diligence and scrutiny on our behalf and if we decide on a process that we believe requires a change of location for the same service delivery but not a change of service then we will of course go through the proper consultation processes with the population we serve and we will keep staff fully engaged throughout.

"All of this takes time and nothing will change for some considerable time. It will not result in loss of jobs or cuts in services."

In June last year the hospital's geriatric ward three was shut due to staffing pressures, resulting in the loss of 24 beds.

Staff were redeployed in the hospital, which bosses said would 'optimise' the concentration of nurses and therapists.

There are currently 56 beds. The trust is also responsible for New Cross Hospital and Cannock Chase Hospital.