Petition to minister to halt hospital plan (From Gazette Series)

Petition to minister to halt hospital plan

A PETITION signed by 32,000 protesters who want to save Frenchay Hospital from being downgraded to a community health centre has been delivered to Secretary of State for Health Patricia Hewitt.

Campaigners are appealing to the health secretary to intervene in the decision-making process which will see Southmead turned into a "super" hospital and Frenchay's A&E department closed and beds removed.

The newsly-formed Save Frenchay Hospital pressure group has been meeting regularly and members have been out on the streets of South Gloucestershire and Bristol collecting signatures against the decision.

In a last ditch attempt to save the celebrated hospital, the group is following Northavon MP Steve Webb's lead by calling on Ms Hewitt to recommend that an independent reconfiguration panel reviews the resolution made by the Bristol Health Services Plan.

Cllr Heather Goddard (Con, Hanham) said this week: "I passionately opposed the decision to downgrade Frenchay hospital which will leave the people of South Gloucestershire without a major hospital to serve their needs.

"Frenchay has an unrivalled reputation for care and service and an unrivalled location to serve the public. I cannot believe that the NHS can seriously argue that it is sensible to run down the hospital which serves the fastest growing area of Britain."

Ms Hewitt is the only person who can commission the panel to reassess the BHSP's decision, which was announced in March.

Added Cllr Goddard: "We were thrown this lifeline and I believe we owe it to Frenchay, its staff and patients to seize it and use it to try and save our hospital from being sold off to property developers."

She urged supporters of the hospital to write to Ms Hewitt directly ahead of the health secretary's announcement of her findings on Thursday, July 28.

Mr Webb, who delivered the petition to Ms Hewitt along with Kingswood MP Roger Berry yesterday, told the Gazette: "I am always wary about these types of decisions but I am hopeful she will recommend a review.

"If she does not, we will have to cross that problem when we come to it." The independent panel could recommend that the decision to downgrade Frenchay Hospital was wrong and that it should be reversed.