Dorset County to close almost 10 per cent of beds

The trust plans to close 39 of its 400 beds by reducing length of stay and increasing theatre utilisation, saving a projected £1.1m in this financial year and £0.9m next year.

From June this year the trust ceased to deliver spinal services, leading to a reduction in income of up to £2.7m. The trust’s forward plan, as submitted to Monitor, reports the service did not generate profits in 2010-11 but did contribute to overheads.

From 2012-13 the trust will no longer provide child and adolescent learning disabilities services, which was loss making in 2010-11. The forward plan reveals the commissioner is seeking to tender for a new model of respite care, however, the trust “anticipates that the transfer will fall within the scope of TUPE and that the separate asset will be sold”.

The plan also reveals the trust is proposing to increase income and profit from “catering, private patients, overseas visitors, high cost drugs and repatriation of non outpatient external work”.