Local MP Brian Mathew is calling for the government to improve residents’ access to healthcare facilities in Melksham, including upgrading the town’s community hospital.
Speaking in Parliament earlier this month, Melksham’s MP raised the issue of the inadequate state of health services across the whole constituency and the distances residents face to access healthcare.
He also voted on the Liberal Democrat motion to fix local NHS buildings that are crumbling and to reverse the government’s delays to the New Hospital Programme. However, the motion was blocked by Labour and Conservative MPs who did not vote on it.
MP Brian Mathew said, “There is currently no out-of-hours healthcare provision anywhere in the Melksham and Devizes constituency. Patients typically have to travel to Swindon, Bath or Salisbury for urgent medical treatment or, at best, to minor injury units in Chippenham or Trowbridge.
“Most of the constituency, including Melksham and Devizes towns, has limited public transport options to get to major hospitals; patients unable to travel by car face a lengthy bus journey in most cases.
“And yet in Melksham, we already have a working community hospital offering a range of healthcare services, from physio to consultant outpatient appointments, but without a minor injuries unit since 2008. On occasion, people in need of urgent treatment for cuts and broken bones turn up at the hospital only to be turned away without so much as a sticking plaster. This is simply not good enough.
“Melksham is seeing ongoing development in and around the town driving population growth, yet we have not seen the investment in services and infrastructure to match.
“I hope very much the department will consider the compelling case for upgrading community hospitals, and I would welcome the chance to meet with the minister to discuss the specific case for Melksham.”
Dr Mathew will be following up on this issue directly with the minister as well as inviting the Friends of Melksham Hospital to join the discussion.
A spokesperson said, “The motion would have created a crumbling hospitals taskforce to work at the heart of government to fix NHS buildings that are falling apart and also drive forward the New Hospitals Programme, reversing the delays to 18 of the 40 projects.”
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I totally sympathise with what was being said here. This resonates and is mirrored here in Westbury! We have the White Horse Health Centre. Closed at the weekend! It has to cater for Westbury’s ever growing population and Warminster with all the current problems we hear about i.e problems getting appointments etc. They can do small operations but couldn’t provide a nurse to treat a small wound on an 80 year old lady’s leg. Three times she had to get to Frome for dressing what turned out to be a problem for which she needs proper management. I was told they a short of staff and 5 GPs down! … And still they build here with no further infrastructure! I could go on….
Sadly we lost our treasured Westbury Hospital many years ago. A real travesty!! If these situations are not of real humanitarian concern ; I don’t know what is!!