A SOUTH Cumbrian MP has warned of the impact the closure of a ward at Furness General Hospital (FGH) that provides end of life care will have on hospices.

MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, Tim Farron, has claimed the closure of Abbey View ward at Furness General Hospital will have a ‘very significant’ impact on hospices.

Bosses at the trust that run the hospital said they had reviewed the layout of beds at FGH and would close the Abbey View ward, which provides end of life treatment.

Director of health and care integration for south Cumbria, Jane Scattergood, previously said: “I’d like to be clear that none of the proposed changes mean that we stop providing any services for patients - but may change where they are provided within the hospitals and the community."

Mr Farron told the local democracy reporting service he has written to the health secretary Wes Streeting and Aaron Cummins, the chief executive of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT), to push back against the closure.

The Liberal Democrat MP described Abbey View as a ‘nice place’ with ‘plenty of good facilities’ for families.

Mr Farron said: “This is the hospital trust throwing people back at the hospice movement and they won’t be able to cope.”

Trust bosses have said the 20-bed unit would be reduced to eight beds and then be wound down by August.

Director of health and care integration for south Cumbria, Jane Scattergood, previously said: “This development is part of a sustained programme of work to support our local people to remain safe and well at home throughout their later years, with support from the NHS and partners to keep as fit and active as possible.

“UHMBT have offered assurance that the changes are about providing an enhanced service in a different place, not about closing beds that are required to provide that service safely.

"The Trust have committed to continue to keep the changes under review to make sure each change is done safely and that they will not hesitate to pause or change plans if any concerns come to light.

“The main aims of the plans are to improve patient care and the experience of patients and colleagues and to move the Trust from a rating of ‘requires improvement’ to a solid and sustainable ‘good’."

Aaron Cummins, the chief executive of the Morecambe Bay NHS trust, previously said no staff will lose jobs and claimed same services will be still be offered in other parts of the hospital.

He said: “We will continue to talk to colleagues as part of the formal process and will listen to the experiences of patients who use these services to ensure that we make the right decisions. Further updates will be shared as the process is completed in the coming weeks."