Surgery Services at Cirencester Hospital FAQs

No. There are no plans to close Cirencester Hospital. It is seen as a hugely important asset for the future of local healthcare and continues to play a key role in providing services for people in the Cotswolds.

Some services at Cirencester Hospital are part of temporary ‘tests of change’ being carried out across Gloucestershire. These are designed to test whether organising services differently could improve patient care, experience and outcomes, while making best use of NHS staff and resources. These tests are time‑limited and closely monitored, and are not permanent changes. No long‑term decisions have been made about individual services, facilities or hospital sites. The purpose is to test new ways of working.

Two temporary tests of change are relevant to Cirencester Hospital: (1) A new frailty complex care unit. This development is being trialled to explore how the  NHS can better meet the needs of people from Gloucestershire with more complex physical and mental health needs. (2) A temporary pause to planned day‑case surgery in the community theatre, which is part of a wider county‑wide test of change. Both changes are being evaluated before any future decisions are considered.

The pause to planned day‑case surgery is part of a county‑wide test of change exploring a ‘centres of excellence’ approach for community theatres. This involves temporarily concentrating some specialist surgical procedures at fewer sites to understand whether this: reduces delays and last‑minute cancellations; improves efficiency and waiting times; makes better use of specialist staff and equipment. During this period, surgical activity previously carried out at Cirencester is taking place at other hospitals in the county, including Stroud, Tewkesbury, Cheltenham and Gloucester.  Community theatres across Gloucestershire are used by patients from many areas, and people often travel within the county for one‑off surgical procedures. No long‑term decisions have been made about individual services, facilities or hospital sites. The purpose is to test new ways of working. The pause is temporary, and the impact of the test of change will be fully evaluated before any next steps are considered.

All other services at Cirencester Hospital continue as normal, including: the Minor Injury and Illness Unit; inpatient services; outpatient services such as therapy and podiatry; community and neighbourhood health teams.

Beds have been reconfigured as part of a test of change. One intermediate care ward with 28 beds has been retained unchanged. The team from another 21-bedded ward have moved into alternative ward accommodation to create a 15-bed frailty complex care unit to support patients with more complex needs. This new model is being evaluated to understand whether it improves care and supports people to return home sooner where appropriate.

No. These are temporary tests of change, not permanent decisions.

Each test of change will be formally evaluated, using: patient outcomes and experience; staff feedback; public and community feedback; service performance data. Evaluation reports will be shared publicly at the end of the trial periods and will help guide next steps.

The hospital remains a really important part of local healthcare in the Cotswolds, helping people get care closer to home and playing a key role in community and neighbourhood services, which is a cornerstone of the NHS 10-year plan. As a sign of this, Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, owner of the site, has planned investment over coming years to help fund improvements to the buildings which, in some places, are starting to show their age. The ambition is for a thriving local hospital, supporting modern neighbourhood health services and ensuring that the care people need most often is available as close to home as possible