WILLITON Community Hospital is to lose more than half of its bed spaces because of what health chiefs claim is a slump in demand.

One of the hospital's two wards, which has been closed since September, will remain shut, with the hospital's bed spaces reduced from 45 to 20.

Staff fear the move will lead to job losses and a reduced service for local people, but NHS trust bosses are adamant there will be no redundancies and say the move will free up £800,000 to spend on other health services locally.

The hospital's stroke unit - Dunkery Ward - was shut in May for redecoration and when it re-opened in September the general ward - Brendon - was closed for a review by the hospital's owner, the Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

Since May, both stroke and general patients have been accommodated in a single ward with "excess staff" transferred to other hospitals around the county.

Now the conclusions of that review have been made public, and staff were told last Friday that Brendon Ward would not reopen.

Health chiefs say the bed reduction is not a cut in services but an attempt to match bed capacity with demand, but staff have described the decision as a "tragedy and an outrage".

Staff have been warned not to talk to the press, but one worker told the Free Press: "If we don't fight this it will result in the loss to Williton and the surrounding area of a valuable community facility.

"Williton has a reputation for excellent care for both patients and their relatives.

"There is a small, dedicated team of staff who constantly strive to provide the excellent care that our largely elderly population deserve.

"We fully expected the review to include some bed closures - that was an inevitable conclusion to current Government policy, but we are in complete shock that Williton will lose 25 beds at the sweep of a hand."

In a statement, a spokesman for the foundation trust said the review had found that, on average, beds were less than three-quarters full at the hospital.

He said this was due to improvements in the way stroke patients were rehabilitated, with many more being supported in their own homes.

In turn, that meant ten per cent fewer patients were being admitted to hospital and those who were stayed for a shorter time as they were able to return home more quickly.

The trust said meant the number of stroke and general beds at the hospital could be "safely reduced" while still meeting the needs of the local community.

"The bed occupancy rates at the hospital have been consistently low over the last two years," said the spokesman.

"Bed occupancy at the hospital is currently averaging at just 73 per cent.

"The review recommends reducing the number of beds from 45 to 20 - ten stroke beds and ten general beds - with an additional 12 beds being available and ready to open on 'standby' should demand increase over the winter months.

"Stroke patients from the Williton, Bridgwater and Minehead area will continue to receive their care at Williton Hospital."

The hospital currently provides rehabilitation for stroke patients from West Somerset, Taunton Deane and Sedgemoor and general community hospital in-patient care for the local population.

However, a purpose-built specialist stroke rehabilitation in-patient centre was recently opened in South Petherton.

Williton Hospital staff are already fearful they could be asked to work in South Somerset and dismissed trust assurances about job security and patient care.

One told the Free Press: "It is obvious they are going to have to cut a lot of staff because they have way too many for just 20 beds.

"They're saying locals won't be affected but that's a load of rubbish.

"The locals won't get a look in. We've got waiting lists already."

Another worker said that just two weeks ago the hospital had a waiting list of 11 people who were stuck in Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, unable to get a bed in the Williton unit.

Just one made it across to West Somerset.

"The saddest part of all is that one of those patients was an elderly gentlemen who was well known to the staff from past admissions and who ended up dying in Musgrove, unable to be visited by his elderly wife who could not access public transport to get there," the staff member said.

"If half the hospital had not been closed we could have received this patient and cared for him in Grace's Room, our palliative care room which has now been mothballed.

"Apart from the effect on local patients, staff at the hospital are devastated to be told that not all will keep their jobs and some will be offered permanent redeployment around the county to fill current vacancies."

The worker said many of the staff had been at Williton Hospital for a considerable number of years and had dedicated their working lives to caring for local people.

"Redeployment could mean being asked to travel as far as Wellington, Glastonbury or Burnham-on-Sea," the worker said.

The trust met staff on Monday to try and allay fears and said consultation would continue with staff and "community stakeholders".

The spokesman said: "Managers with Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust are giving their assurance that they do not anticipate any job losses as a result of this reduction in beds.

"The Trust has a number of vacant posts in neighbouring community hospitals and at Williton Hospital itself.

"The funds freed up by this bed reduction will be used to develop non in-patient services at the hospital, for instance,

additional out-patient clinics.

"The trust will be engaging with hospital staff and community stakeholders to seek their views on the services they would most prefer to see developed."

He said the bed reduction would continue to be reviewed by NHS Somerset and any impact on local services would be monitored.