Results of a Survey of Northavon residents on
future Local NHS Provision
January 2004
In Summer 2003 I initiated a survey into the views
of Northavon residents on the future configuration of hospital and other
NHS services in the South Gloucestershire/North Bristol area. This
survey was intended to inform and feed into the discussions being
undertaken within local NHS Trusts and by the Strategic Health Authority
on these issues. The motivation for the survey was to feed in the views
of local residents at an early stage, rather than have residents be
presented with firmly formed proposals on which their subsequent
comments might have only marginal effect.
Survey forms were delivered by volunteers to households across Northavon
in the late Summer and Autumn of 2003. Approximately 39,000 forms were
eventually delivered. Respondents were able to complete the
survey, anonymously if they wished, and return it to the Freepost
address on the survey form. At the end of the process, slightly more
than 8,000 survey forms had been returned – an unprecedented scale of
response for a survey of this nature. Given that many survey forms were
filled in by couples who both put their names to the replies, the views
expressed clearly represent the considered opinions of more than 10,000
local residents.
This report focuses on the replies to questions relating to the future
of Frenchay and Southmead and on attitudes to new and existing community
facilities. Responses to other questions will be released at a later
date.
Main findings of the report:
* 81% thought that the views of South Glos.
residents were not being properly taken account of by health chiefs
currently drawing up plans for local services;
* Nearly two thirds of local residents
(64%) rejected any consolidation of hospital services onto a single
site, even if a clinical justification was given;
* Nearly four fifths of residents (79%)
rejected closure of Frenchay’s Accident & Emergency department—even if
there were to be new “minor injury” centres in the community;
* Around half of all respondents wanted to
see new “minor injury” facilities at Yate/ Chipping Sodbury, but most
were not willing to support this if it meant closing a major A&E
department;
* The community health facilities most in demand
in addition to a “minor injuries” unit were local appointments with
hospital consultants, and local beds for people discharged from a major
hospital but not ready to go home.
The full report:
* Results of Questions
1-5: the relative importance to residents of Frenchay and Southmead
hospitals
* Results of Question 6:
should there continue to be two major hospitals serving the area or
would one hospital, backed up by more community facilities, be a better
proposition?
* Results of Question 7:
what would be the priorities of local people if new community-based
facilities were introduced?
* Results of Question
13: how far do local people feel that their concerns are being taken
into account?
* Conclusions
* Acknowledgments
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