News story

2nd February 2005

MP to Challenge Minister Over Future of Frenchay Hospital

Northavon MP Steve Webb has secured a debate at Westminster next Tuesday (8th February) on the future of Frenchay Hospital. The MP will be speaking just weeks ahead of a crucial meeting of local NHS Trust bosses at which the future of the Hospital will be decided. He will be arguing strongly against the downgrading of Frenchay into a "community hospital" and will stress the strength of feeling of South Gloucestershire residents about the threat to their only major hospital.

The MP, who has been contacted by over 8,000 constituents about this issue, will call on Ministers to intervene if there is any suggestion of downgrading Frenchay and removing 24 hour accident and emergency cover. He will cite evidence that the hospital is already over-stretched and having to cancel operations at an alarming rate, and will argue that cutting beds at a time when the local population is on the increase would be totally unacceptable.

Steve Webb said:

"The threat to Frenchay is one of the biggest concerns among local people. I am hearing of alarming numbers of cases of people having their treatment cancelled or delayed - sometimes time after time - because the existing hospital is over-stretched. The idea that local people will be better served in future decades by a smaller hospital strikes many of my constituents as absurd.

"At present we have two major hospitals within Bristol and one in South Gloucestershire. I do not see how the people of South Gloucestershire will be well served if their only hospital is taken away from them."

The future of local health services will be decided at a meeting in mid-March which will be attended by senior figures from the four Primary Care Trusts and two acute Hospital Trusts which serve the Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset area.


Note to editors: The debate will take place at 3.30pm on Tuesday 8th February. Steve Webb will have around 15 minutes to make his case and a minister from the Department of Health will be required to respond.