THE campaign to upgrade Melksham Hospital is moving forward, following the first meeting of the Melksham Hospital Steering Group, which was held in September.
A campaign to upgrade the facility was launched last year, spearheaded by MP Michelle Donelan with Friends of Melksham Hospital and local councillors, following an increase in residents calling for more of the hospital’s services to be reinstated after some were axed in the early 2000s.
The meeting was held at the Melksham Community Campus and attended by MP Michelle Donelan, Friends of Melksham Hospital, local councillors and the Local Integrated Care Board (ICB) who manages the NHS budget locally.
Chair of the parish council, John Glover said, “Melksham Without Parish Council are keen to find ways that members of the local community can attend a site in Melksham for routine tests, appointments and minor treatment, without having to travel to the hospitals in Bath, Bristol or Swindon. We are pleased to have a seat at the table in discussions with the local stakeholders and most importantly, the NHS, in building the business case for improved facilities for the Melksham area.”
MP Michelle Donelan says that having campaigned for local funding, the group know that getting investment and a plan in place to upgrade the site in Melksham will not be an overnight change. “This group is all about getting the right people in the room to work out how we can make it happen,” she said.
“Our next step is to push for a business case, which would formally outline the additional services which an upgraded site could offer. This includes building the evidence to show that additional local services would not only benefit the Melksham area but also our larger hospitals nearby in Bath, Bristol and Swindon, freeing up capacity for them to carry out more urgent care and operations, for example.
“Being able to use Melksham for routine tests, appointments or minor treatment would also significantly reduce the amount of time and money spent travelling to our larger hospitals, something which I know is an issue for many folks.
“Whilst we look to progress a business case, I am also pushing the Department for Health for further investment to help make this a reality and I have invited the Health Secretary to join me at Melksham Hospital to see the potential for the site himself.”
Melksham Hospital site has been without a minor injuries unit since 2002 and the remaining ward with beds was shut in 2007, despite a strong local campaign against the action. The hospital now provides X-ray, mental health and physiotherapy services only.
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