A HOSPITAL ward where Halton patients are treated is being threatened with closure as part of a ‘reconfiguring’ of the orthopaedic service.

The 20-bed orthopaedic ward in Warrington Hospital could close next month as staff are consulted over the changes.

At present, Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has three orthopaedic wards across its two sites – with one of the two presently open at the Lovely Lane site faced with the axe.

As a result, the two remaining wards will have additional beds put in them to compensate for the proposed closure.

Jobs will be lost in the department which focusses on injuries and diseases to the musculoskeletal system, although it is understood that staff will be given other jobs in the trust – but this could mean working at Halton Hospital instead of Warrington Hospital.

The hospital’s staff were told about the move last week and a consultation on the ‘reconfiguring’ will run until October 14.

Warrington Hospital said it would not comment on the potential outcome of the consultation until after that date.

A spokesman for Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “Our strategy is to more effectively utilise our total bed stock in response to patient need and this means decompressing the Warrington site.

“There are currently too many patients for the number of beds that we have and we need to ensure we can support the increasing demand for emergency admissions.

“We have excellent facilities at Halton General and the Cheshire and Merseyside Treatment Centre which are consistently rated as five star by both Warrington and Halton patients alike on NHS Choices and through the friends and family test.

“We are currently consulting with those staff involved about reconfiguring our current orthopaedic service to provide a better patient service and experience.

“Therefore we are unable to comment on any potential outcome until after the consultation closes on October 14.”