PATIENTS with certain conditions will have to travel further for treatment under plans to merge hospital departments.

The cost-cutting proposals involve the Countess of Chester Hospital and Arrowe Park and Clatterbridge Hospitals, run by Wirral University Hospitals Trust.

Countess patients needing specialist cardiology or urology treatment (kidneys, the bladder and male reproductive organs) would travel to Arrowe Park in future.

Wirral patients needing complex breast cancer treatment and complex vascular surgery (veins and arteries) would be transferred to the Countess.

The hospitals claim collaboration will help to create specialist centres and therefore improve care.

Countess chief executive Peter Herring said: “We have been working collaboratively with Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust for some time now to identify where joint working will deliver improved levels of service for patients at both trusts.

“There has been considerable input from clinical staff at both trusts to establish how joint services will be best delivered to our patients.

“In the case of vascular services, Wirral University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust will continue to provide vascular surgery and other vascular services at Arrowe Park Hospital for the majority of their vascular patients.

“About 150 patients per year will in future attend a Vascular Centre for surgery and we have submitted a joint bid with Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to provide a Vascular Centre based on the Countess of Chester site.”

“The plans for joint working in vascular services, cardiology services, inpatient urology services and complex breast surgery do not pose a threat to the future of A&E departments at either hospital.”