A SERVICE has been temporarily withdrawn from a town hospital after concerns were raised over patients privacy and dignity.

The Endoscopy department at Evesham Community Hospital has temporarily closed after a Joint Advisory Group on Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (JAG) found services to be "not fit for purpose".

Patients due to visit the department have been given new appointments in either Worcester, Kidderminster or Redditch.

In a joint statement from Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, the trusts said: "Endoscopy services have been temporarily withdrawn from Evesham Community Hospital following an external assessment which raised some concerns around the hospital environment.

"The concerns relate to onsite facilities for the regulated decontamination of endoscopes, and the privacy and dignity of patients accessing endoscopy services. 

"Patients with endoscopy appointments booked at Evesham Community Hospital have been offered their procedure at either the Alexandra Hospital, Kidderminster Hospital, or Worcestershire Royal Hospital instead. 

"These arrangements will remain in place while discussions continue between the Trusts about whether sustainable improvements can be made to the environment to resolve these concerns.

"An external surveyor has assessed the overall environment at Evesham Community Hospital and deemed it safe for patients, staff and visitors.

"Other services and inpatient wards run by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust at Evesham Community Hospital are not affected and continue to operate as normal. 

"While we appreciate the potential disruption for patients, and apologise for any inconvenience caused, our shared priority has to be protecting patient safety while also ensuring that people waiting for potentially life-saving tests are offered those tests in the most timely way possible. "

Wychavon District Councillor Mary Tasker alerted Evesham town councillor to the news during a meeting on November 11.

Councillor Tasker said: "A bit of local news, the Endoscopy department in Evesham hospital has temporarily closed because they had in inspection and it was found not fit for purpose.

"So all the appointment that have been given out, they've been given appointments in either Worcester, Redditch or Kidderminster to try and keep the flow going but they are looking into it at the moment."