Empty NHS houses are a ‘disgrace’ says local councillor

TWO houses on Spa Road, owned by the NHS, that have been left empty for over 10 years could have been used to fund local health care services and provide accommodation for residents in need. 

That’s the opinion of Wiltshire councillor, Mike Sankey, who has said that  the NHS has left the two NHS lodge homes, located near Melksham Hospital, to deteriorate instead of utilising their assets. 

Cllr Sankey told Melksham News, “I think it’s a disgrace that our ‘cash-strapped’ NHS has left these homes to deteriorate for over 10 years now, foregoing a potential rental income of at least £200,000 in the process.   

“Even in their dilapidated state, these houses have a residual value that someone would be willing to pay to take them on as a development project.  The proceeds of their sale could then be injected into local health care services. 

“The two houses could be turned into HMO, (houses of multiple occupation) or bedsits, that could provide much-needed accommodation for care leavers or single people who find themselves homeless with few options available to them.  

“It is shameful that just a short distance down the road in Melksham there are families in hostel accommodation desperately waiting for a home, whilst these two houses stand empty.” 

This is not the first time the plight of the two houses has hit the headlines. In 2018, Wiltshire councillor Jon Hubbard had the same concerns as cllr Sankey, criticising the NHS for keeping the houses empty. Cllr Hubbard described it as ‘a complete waste of public funds’, explaining that he felt the houses should be repaired and put on the housing register. 

At the time, NHS Property Services – who took over ownership of the houses from Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in 2017 – explained that they were supporting the Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group (who merged with Bath and North East Somerset, and Swindon CCGs in 2020) to assess whether the two houses would be needed in the future for the delivery of local healthcare services. 

In response to cllr Sankey’s concerns, a spokesperson for NHS Property Services said,  “NHS Property Services closely follow the investment requirements of the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group (BSW CCG) and currently, we are working a number of healthcare projects in the region based on these guidelines.  

“The pandemic has meant that limited capital funds have been carefully targeted to meet the needs of patient care and keep our clinical buildings in Wiltshire safe for patients and staff.” 

A spokesperson for BSW CCG told Melksham News that they would not be adding anything further to what NHS Property Services has said, explaining that they are the body ‘most appropriate’ to comment.