Plans to turn Stafford Hospital into a smaller-scale 'local' hospital have been criticised by a Church of England bishop.
The Bishop of Stafford, the Right Reverend Geoffrey Annas, said there
were "inaccuracies" in the report put forward to the regulator of the
Mid Staffs NHS Foundation Trust.
The plans will mean a decrease in the level of support currently
provided by the hospital to the 270,000 people living in the Stafford
area.
The Critical Care Unit has been earmarked for closure and maternity services will also be scaled down.
Bishop Annas said the closure of the services would be a "great loss" to local people.
Concerns have been raised as to whether staffing levels are sufficient enough to meet the required standards of care.
The bishop acknowledged these concerns and recent reports into
failures at the hospital.
However, he said there was "no justification
in down-grading a much-needed hospital that has greatly improved the
quality of its services over the past two to three years".
"I fear that this has more to do with wider financial considerations than the wellbeing of the people of Stafford," he said.
"I hope that when the Trust Special Administrator is appointed,
[they] will reject this report and consider how best to restore
confidence in Stafford Hospital."