Health chiefs have apologised after figures used in the Better Care Closer to Home consultation in North Derbyshire – which could see some mental health and community wards close – were incorrect.
It was revealed on Monday that following the 14-week consultation the figures they used to show how much the hospitals cost to run and projected five-year costs were too high.
Now the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG) both in North Derbyshire and Hardwick will be holding a four-week clarification campaign and want people to come forward if the new figures alter their views.
The new figures impact on Bolsover, Cavendish, Clay Cross, Newholme and Whitworth hospitals.
Steve Allinson, chief officer at NHS North Derbyshire CCG, said: “We are grateful for all the feedback we have had through petitions, letters, our public meetings and responses to the consultation document. It’s unfortunate these errors occurred and on behalf of all those involved in the 21c #JoinedUpCare programme I would like to offer our apologies to everyone in northern Derbyshire. We would like to assure people that the identified errors do not materially affect the proposals put forward for consultation; the incorrect tables were not used during the options appraisal process and the proposals were based on a range of factors rather than just cost.”
More than 1700 submitted responses are being analysed by an independent academic to ensure that all responses are fully taken into account.
It was after the consultation closed that the CCGs became aware incorrect figures were printed in two tables containing financial information in the pre-consultation business case. The independent auditors were asked to check the entire PCBC and a third table was identified which included some errors.
The figures indicating total costs of community hospital beds were correct, but the distribution of figures across the five sites were not.
For the seven different options available for better care closer to home the costs were incorrect. Regarding the phasing of service and overhead costs across the five years of changes, the costs at year five are correct, but the phasing of some of those costs between years one and four are not.
Article originally published by the Derbyshire Times.
