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Fear community hospital could lose inpatient beds

Ruth Bradley
Politics reporter, BBC Somerset
Reporting fromCrewkerne
BBC A man in a black polo shirt standing outside a red brick hospital building in Crewkerne in Somerset. A sign showing different departments is visible behind himBBC
Darren Gould says his dad received the "best treatment" as a patient at Crewkerne

There are worries a community hospital could lose all of its inpatient beds.

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has said it is in the early stages of looking at whether Crewkerne Community Hospital could become a neighbourhood health centre.

It said this would "provide a greater range of diagnostic services and treatments for local people".

The BBC understands staff have been told there is a proposal to close all of the 20 inpatient beds there, as part of the changes.

Staff have also been told about redeployment options and offered shifts shadowing roles at other hospitals.

Local resident Darren Gould, whose dad has been a patient at the hospital, said he was "shocked" by the news.

Mr Gould's father was admitted to Crewkerne Hospital for end-of-life care in December 2024.

"He was looked after by the staff, they sorted his medication out, gave him the best treatment they could, physiotherapy, got him out of bed and walking with a frame."

His father is now living back in his own home "driving his car around, going on short walks and watching bowls".

"I think without him coming back here [Crewkerne Hospital] he wouldn't be with us today," said Mr Gould.

A red brick cottage hospital building in Crewkerne with red tiles roof and white sash windows and a single storey extension with hedges outside
Crewkerne Hospital is located next to the town's health centre, on Middle Path

The BBC asked the NHS trust, which runs the hospital, about the possibility of bed closures. It did not respond to this specific point.

Andy Heron, chief operating officer for Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We want to talk to local people about the best mix of services at the hospital which we think is potentially ideally placed to become one of the new neighbourhood health centres envisaged in the NHS 10 Year Plan.

"These conversations are at an early stage and there will be an opportunity for local people to get involved. No decisions have been made."

It comes after the trust confirmed last month it was in the "very early" stages of a consultation to reduce beds at Frome Community Hospital and West Mendip Hospital in Glastonbury.

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