News story
8th February 2005
Local MP Highlights South Glos "Pensioner Explosion" In Case for
Frenchay Hospital
Northavon MP Steve Webb today told MPs at Westminster that a big
population rise in South Gloucestershire over the coming 15 years makes
it vital that Frenchay Hospital is saved to serve the people of the
area. The MP was speaking during a specially called debate on the future
of Frenchay Hospital to which health minister Melanie Johnson was called
upon to respond.
Steve Webb began by highlighting the results of his own survey of
Northavon residents which showed overwhelming opposition to the
downgrading of Frenchay Hospital. He said that independent research by
the South Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust had shown that people in
South Gloucestershire and also in Bristol wanted Frenchay to remain as a
major acute hospital site.
The MP then revealed projections for the populations of Bristol and
South Gloucestershire which showed that the large part of the population
growth over the next fifteen years would be in South Gloucestershire,
and especially among pensioners. The figures, drawn from North Bristol
Trust's own website, showed that the overall population rise in Bristol
by 2020 will be 6.5 per cent but in South Gloucestershire will be 16 per
cent. More strikingly still, the rise in pensioners (who make most use
of the NHS) will be just 2.5% in Bristol and an amazing 50% in South
Gloucestershire.
Commenting, Steve Webb said:
"Thousands of South Gloucestershire residents have registered their
support for Frenchay Hospital and their views must be listened to. With
the BRI remaining as the major hospital for central Bristol, Frenchay
should be retained to serve South Gloucestershire. With big rises in the
South Gloucestershire population over the coming years, there can be no
justification for removing the area's only major hospital".
In replying to the debate, the health minister said that whichever sites
were chosen the service to the people of the area would be better, but
said that she did not want to interfere with what was essentially a
local decision about choice of sites.
The meeting which will decide the future of Frenchay will be held on
March 14th and will be attended by chairs and chief executives of the
four primary care trusts and two acute hospital trusts which serve
Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.
Click here to read the full debate in the House of Commons |