Standish decision (From Gazette Series)

Standish decision

I AM glad that Diana Harvey now admits that the decision to close Standish was initiated in the late 1980s (Gazette letters, June 24). To further correct her memory however the hospital was announced for closure in the early 1990s. That is why Save our Standish changed tack then, for the then Tory Government drove through that decision and the run down began.

I accept that this took a long time before final closure but it the improvements at Gloucestershire Royal were always predicated on the closure of Standish and the re-location of services. To prepare for this SoS commissioned the mutual group, the Standish Community Initiative to bid for the site. We are still waiting to hear the outcome of this bid but I can assure Ms Harvey and others that detailed negotiations continue and we will be meeting with Lord Warner, the Minister responsible, shortly.

Of course all of this could have been shared with Ms Harvey if she had bothered to check with SoS over the 17 years of the campaign. Sadly we have yet to hear from her.

David Drew MP for Stroud