The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust, which runs the Cromer hospital, is consulting on plans to build a new hospital, close the 12-bed in-patient ward, and concentrate on day case treatment and diagnostics.

To date 64,000 consultation documents have been delivered across North Norfolk but if anyone still wants a Cromer consultation document they can call 01603 287200 to ask for one. People can also complete the questionnaire on the Trust website's homepage. 

The changes proposed are:

• that the hospital becomes a centre for day case surgery and procedures (where you come in for your operation and go home on the same day)
• that we close the 12-bed in-patient ward at Cromer and District Hospital from mid 2007
• that we build a new hospital on the same Mill Road site as the current one

The proposal regarding the 12 acute in-patient beds at Cromer and District Hospital relates only to the acute beds we provide. This Cromer and District Hospital Consultation does not relate to the provision of community beds provided elsewhere by Norfolk Primary Care Trust.

In recent years, Cromer and District Hospital has seen a major rise in the numbers of patients undergoing day surgery (day surgery means coming in on the day of your operation or procedure and going home the same day). In 1996/97 a total of 1,945 day case operations were carried out at Cromer and 5,588 day case operations were conducted in 2005/06 (an rise of 187%).

A major part of the proposed changes is the building of a new hospital on the current site, using the Bernstein legacy. The new hospital would provide acute day case, diagnostic, out-patient, renal and minor injury services, on the existing Mill Road site in Cromer.