Save Frenchay Hospital

17th March 2005

MP steps Up Fight to Save Frenchay Hospital

Steve Webb addresses local residents in a protest to save Frenchay

Scroll to the bottom of the page to read more about the campaign so far

Northavon MP Steve Webb this week addressed 250 local residents who gathered outside the Beeches Hotel, Brislington, to register their protest at the plan to deprive South Gloucestershire residents of their only major hospital, at Frenchay.

Inside the hotel, the chairmen of each of the six local NHS trusts were meeting to decide the future of the hospitals in North Bristol and South Gloucestershire.  However, despite the evidence of overwhelming local opposition to their plans and the decision of South Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust to support Frenchay, the health chiefs voted to maintain Southmead as the major acute hospital in the area, and downgrade Frenchay to a "community hospital."

However, Steve Webb warned the health chiefs that the people of South  Gloucestershire risk being a "forgotten people" if these plans go ahead. He urged them to defer their decision until key questions are answered about how the needs of people in South Gloucestershire for access to emergency services have been properly dealt  with.

Commenting, the MP said:

"Thousands of South Gloucestershire residents have registered their support for Frenchay Hospital and their views must be listened to. With the BRI remaining 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.

"I have been inundated with responses from people in Yate and Chipping Sodbury in particular who rightly ask how they are expected to get to Southmead in an emergency. Whereas Bristol residents can easily access the BRI, South Gloucestershire residents will be left abandoned if Frenchay is downgraded".

The MP added that he had received hundreds of e-mails and petition signatures in the last few days since the plan for Frenchay became widely known. Many residents, including practising GPs, have said that they had no idea that a decision was imminent, calling into question the effectiveness of the consultation that has been undertaken.

Steve Webb has welcomed support from Kingswood's Labour MP, and the two now plan to take the matter to the Secretary of State. Local people can still make their views count by writing to the press and local health chiefs.
 

Steve's campaign so far:

• In 2003, Steve carried out a major survey of local residents to find out their views on proposals to downgrade either Frenchay or Southmead. Nearly four fifths of residents (79%) rejected closure of Frenchay’s Accident & Emergency department.

• In February this year, Steve called a debate in Parliament on the future of Frenchay hospital, urging the Government to make sure the people of South Gloucestershire were listened to.

• In the last few weeks, Steve has encouraged local residents to write to the heads of the NHS Trusts involved in making the decision on the future of Frenchay. He has been overwhelmed by petition forms and e-mails in response to this call.

• Now Steve has teamed up with neighbouring Kingswood MP Roger Berry to take the fight back to the House of Commons. They have tabled an Early Day Motion - an MPs' petition to draw notice to an issue - to raise awareness of the matter in Parliament.

• Steve has also met with the director of health policy at the Strategic Health Authority  to discuss next steps, and has encouraged local residents to write to her. He was delighted to secure a promise that more work will be done by the local Trusts on the impact of their plans on access to local hospitals.