Staff at Somerset's community hospitals claim they are being interviewed to "see who keeps their jobs" ahead of wider NHS reforms.

The Somerset NHS Foundation Trust operates 13 inpatient wards across its 11 community hospitals, located in Bridgwater, Burnham-on-Sea, Chard, Crewkerne, Frome, Glastonbury, Minehead, Shepton Mallet, South Petherton, Wellington, Williton and Wincanton.

Following the publication of the government's ten-year plan for the NHS, the trust is consulting on proposals to close, relocate or re-purpose inpatient beds, with more emphasis being placed on "pathway beds" to get patients out of acute hospitals and being able to receive further treatment at home.

But hospital staff have claimed they are already being interviewed "to see who keeps their jobs", with some being "sent to 'shadow jobs' that don't exist".

Both the trust and the NHS Somerset integrated care board (ICB) have stressed that no final decisions have been made, with the public having numerous options to have their say over the summer.

Here's everything you need to know:

What is being proposed – and why?

One of the key aims of the government's ten-year health plan is for patients to be treated more within the community to free up beds and resources at the acute hospitals (such as Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton and Yeovil Hospital).

To this end, the hospital trust intends to make changes to the numbers of beds available at its community hospitals, and staff being redeployed accordingly.

At Bridgwater, the trust plans to increase the number of "pathway care" beds to 36, with a further nine beds being "re-purposed".

West Mendip Community Hospital in Glastonbury will see 20 beds converted for pathway use, with South Petherton also seeing 20 beds "transitioned" to this role.

Williton will retain 20 beds for pathway use, while Chard and Wellington will both see "temporary reductions before final changes" are implemented.

The trust had previously indicated that it would be reducing beds at Frome Community Hospital, with similar reports recently surfacing about Crewkerne's facilities.

NHS bosses stated in late-July that "no decisions have been made to permanently close any community hospital beds".

What have the staff been saying?

Numerous members of staff employed at the community hospitals shared their experiences with the Local Democracy Reporting Service, on the condition that their identities not been made public.

One said: "At West Mendip they have been interviewing staff to see who keeps their jobs.

"They need to get rid of 16 staff, which is very sad.

"I cannot believe they are going to close beds, as when a free bed becomes available it is filled within 12 hours.

"We are always full and we open extra beds in the winter to help deal with the winter flu crisis."

Another commented: "It's terrible. We are being sent to 'shadow jobs' that don't exist.

"We don't really know what is going on. The stress is high level – it's dreadful."

Another staff member stated: "The stress of these interviews is incredible.

"We don't understand why we are interviewing for our jobs, as we have contracts."

One person speculated that these changes were being pushed through ahead of a possible merger of ICBs, with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) expecting a "50 per cent cut to operational expenses" in the event of Somerset joining up with North Somerset, Bath and Dorset.

No final decision on such a merger has yet been made, with any merger requiring the approval of all affected ICBs.

How has the hospital trust responded?

The Somerset NHS Foundation Trust – which directly runs the community hospitals – said that the interviews at West Mendip were part of "test and learn processes", with staff being redeployed in a bid to gather information about how the existing services could be remodelled.

A spokesperson said: "The ten-year health plan was published in July and sets out how it will reinvent the NHS through three radical shifts.

"One of those shifts is a shift of services from hospital to community, and we and NHS Somerset are working together on a programme designed to deliver that shift.

"As part of that, the trust is running two test and learn processes. The outcomes from these temporary changes, and the public engagement work led by NHS Somerset, will help shape NHS Somerset's new community services strategy.

"To make some of the temporary changes, we need to move colleagues from staffing some inpatient beds in three community hospitals.

"To support this, we undertook a consultation on staff job roles that asked colleagues whether they would prefer to stay in their current role or volunteer for redeployment.

"We are holding vacancies to enable colleagues to be redeployed where that is necessary.

"Colleagues will be able to seek alternative roles if redeployment is unsuccessful and return to their previous roles if the test and learn is unsuccessful.

"There will be no compulsory redundancies."

How has the ICB responded?

NHS Somerset has reiterated that no final decision on bed closures has been taken, and is urging local residents to take part in the consultation event over the remainder of the summer.

A spokesperson said: "No decisions have been taken to permanently close beds in our community hospitals.

"We are inviting local people to influence how the NHS in Somerset puts into practice one of the key shifts at the heart of the government's new ten-year health plan, by reshaping the way care is provided in local communities.

"Moving care from hospitals to communities is among the three key shifts at the centre of the ten-year health plan, which was published earlier this month, after the biggest national and local conversation about the future of the NHS over the winter.

"Nationally, 270,000 people took part and among the outcomes was clear support for treating people closer to – and in – their own homes whenever possible, something that people in Somerset have also told the NHS they support.

"Now NHS Somerset, which is responsible for planning, paying for and monitoring NHS health services, is asking local people how best to deliver more care closer to home and in their local neighbourhood.""

How can I have my say?

NHS Somerset is staging numerous in-person events over the summer and early-autumn under the 'Big Conversation' banner, allowing people to have their say on the ten-year health plan and its local implications.

NHS Somerset will have a presence at the following events and locations:

• August 21: South Petherton Library, St James' Corner, South Petherton
• August 23: Bridgwater Food and Drink Festival, Cornhill, Bridgwater
• August 26: Wincanton Cares Community Talking Table, Morrisons, Southgate Road, Wincanton
• August 27: Wacky Wednesday, Wellington Park, Wellington
• September 2: Williton Talking Cafe, Williton Pavilion Hall, Roberts Street, Williton
• September 20: Chard Market, A30 Fore Street, Chard
• September 27: Crewkerne Farmers' Market, Falkland Square, Crewkerne
• September 27: Taunton Together, The Square, Taunton

If you are unable to attend any of these events, you can complete the online survey by visiting www.nhssomerset.nhs.uk/big-conversation-2025, email [email protected] or send a written response to NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board, Wynford House, Lufton Way, Yeovil, BA22 8HR, Freepost RRKL-XKSC-ACSG.

The council's adults and health scrutiny committee will discuss the plans in detail when it meets in Bridgwater on Thursday morning (August 21).

Councillor Claire Sully, the vice-chair of the committee, said: "My role is to listen to local residents. If they are worried about their local NHS services being taken away, I take that seriously.

"When NHS Somerset's narrative differs from what staff and residents are experiencing, it raises serious questions.

"The key issue is: why are services being cut without a clear plan? And if there is a plan, it must be effectively communicated to those it affects."

In addition to the scrutiny meeting, a public protect against the changes will be held outside West Mendip Community Hospital on Tuesday (August 19) at 12:30pm.

The protest will be attended by local MPs Adam Dance (Yeovil), Sarah Dyke (Glastonbury and Somerton), Tessa Munt (Wells and Mendip Hills) and Anna Sabine (Frome and East Somerset), along with representatrives from Butleigh Parish Council, Street Parish Council and Wells City Council.