As the dust settled today after the NHS announced huge community hospital cuts, one message became clear: Burford patients have been left high and dry, writes Victoria Owen.

Despite the best soundbites the health authority could muster about balancing its books, many see the decision to shut down both Watlington and Burford hospitals as a hammer blow to their communities.

The move, including a permanent loss of 18 beds at Abingdon and a new 30-bed replacement hospital at Bicester, means a total of 28 beds will disappear from the 304 currently under the Community Health Care Trust in Oxfordshire.

It might not seem huge amounts to some, but those who depend on local respite and recuperative care could soon be suffering the changes. In Burford, angry villagers are fuming at their hospital's closure - set to take place within six months.

Although Watlington Hospital is also being forced to shut its doors within three-months, the local community has been promised a new intensive community support system and a transport link between the town and Wallingford Hospital.

But while patients in Watlington make use of the travel arrangements and are offered help from occupational therapists, GPs, nurses and social services, Burford feels it is being abandoned. Even the village's Alzheimer's Specialist Unit will be transferred to another area.

Abingdon, which has already lost 24 beds, will now have six returned to it and 18 permanently closed. When the half dozen beds will be re-opened is unknown, due to staff shortages. But according to health authority chairman Dr Peter Iredale, the same problem will not re-occur at Bicester in two years' time, when a new 30-bed hospital is eventually unveiled.

He said: "Bicester is growing in numbers and will be assisted by the extra employment," he said. Frankly, one way or another, we will have to man the hospital however we can and that definitely depends on a huge number of factors, including pay, employment levels and training."

The health authority started considering this reshuffle 18 months ago, when it revealed plans which also included reducing bed numbers at Witney, Chipping Norton, Wallingford and Wantage. The cuts were part of budget trimming to save the NHS £1.6m a year.

It was stalled by health watchdogs, the Community Health Council, who appealed to former Health Secretary Frank Dobson to overturn the strategy.

Public consultations came and went, 13 public meetings were conducted and the general public consensus was that community beds had an important part to play in community care. Yesterday, however, Alan Milburn finally rubber-stamped the hospital closures.

Health authority chief executive Michael Taylor defended the decision by saying Oxfordshire was the third worst funded health authority in the UK and desperate to cut costs. "Oxfordshire has a wide number of community hospitals compared to other counties. We do have to make some difficult choices.

"This clearly represents good news for Bicester which has the fastest growing population in the county. There will be disappointment at Abingdon, Burford and Watlington. However we are facing some infinite demands against finite resources."

Others were not so keen.

Conservative MP Mr Shaun Woodward said he felt "utterly betrayed" by the decision to close Burford Hospital, which many of his Witney constituents had opposed.

"Labour could have saved this crucial hospital. They chose to ignore the advice of doctors, nurses and health professionals. While the Health Authority has just acted like a puppet" he said.

Liberal Democrat Evan Harris, MP for Oxford West and Abingdon and former John Radcliffe doctor, said: "It's just very disappointing. The Government has decided to close hospitals and cut beds rather than open its pre-election war chest to save community hospital services in Oxfordshire. "I'm obviously very concerned about the loss of beds at Abingdon but on the wider front there are going to be problems at the JR.

"Doctors will no longer be able to discharge patients to community hospitals, causing bed blocking at the JR. Therefore they will not be able to admit the emergencies and waiting list cases the Government wants them to.

"The Government is amputating its nose to spite its face."

Story date: Friday 26 November

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