The Wiltshire Primary Care Trust today decided to shelve plans to reduce medical beds at Chippenham Hospital from 43 to just ten. Instead, it decided to stop at 20, pending a three month review led by the North Wiltshire Practice Based Commissioning Consortium.

Local campaigner Duncan Hames said “This further three month reprieve is very welcome. The Chief Executive is right to say it would have been foolish to press on blindly with a reduction to just ten beds while the transfer proposal was being considered.

“This process is really good news for Chippenham Hospital. I met local health bosses last year to urge them to support it. Bringing ten beds from Bath to Chippenham will help secure the hospitals future” concluded Duncan.

The summer will be a pivotal time for Chippenham Hospital. Duncan Hames has met with the Chief Executive to discuss how they can improve their bid to government for capital investment.

Today the Wiltshire PCT responded to a question from Duncan Hames to announce that they are in the final stages of re-submitting that bid to the Department of Health and hope for a decision in May or June, Chippenham residents will then expect a decision on moving beds from Bath to Chippenham in July.