An NHS leaflet intended to clarify the future of Hemel Hempstead Hospital has caused confusion by implying the site is closing.
Patients and visitors have been left scratching their heads over the handout, which suggests it is a fiction that the hospital is not closing and states both a fact and a fiction that the changes will produce better healthcare.
Entitled Fact or F
iction the pamphlet states: 'Fiction: The hospital is not closing'.
It then goes on: 'Fact and fiction: an Urgent Care Centre will open on the site'.
Then it states: 'Fact and fiction: The plans enable better healthcare to be provided and saves money'.
The leaflet was produced by West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust in the face of public outcry that full A&E services and planned surgery would close in Hemel Hempstead.
The town would be left with a minor injuries unit, also called an Urgent Care Centre and run by family doctors, outpatients department and diagnostic facilities.
However, there are indications that these services could be provided in another location in the town rather than Hillfield Road.
The leaflet goes on: "Regardless of what you might have seen in local papers or heard said within the community, there are no plans to close the hospital.
"Changes are planned for this site but a vibrant health service will remain here."
About 250 handouts were printed and distributed around Hemel Hempstead Hospital.
Trust spokeswoman Eileen Whitehouse said: "Obviously it is a fiction that Hemel Hempstead Hospital is closing.
"We did the leaflets purely to go round the hospital. We put them in outpatients, fracture clinics and A&E.
"We haven't had any feedback to say it's closing."
The full article contains 289 words and appears in Hemel Gazette newspaper.
