WESTBURY’S fight to save its hospital buildings is far from over. MP Andrew Murrison has formally appealed to health authorities to use the hospital and a new community action group is being formed.
The local community was in uproar when, earlier this year, NHS Property Services announced plans to replace the hospital buildings with up to 72 houses.
Hopes of the hospital reopening were all but destroyed, and people expressed their disgust, disappointment, and sense of injustice at the sale of what was once a community asset.
Local residents are now taking it upon themselves to try to find a use for the buildings, which have been vacant for nearly eight years.
People’s frustrations got worse when White Horse News revealed in February that health authorities were searching for a new location for a permanent small dementia unit in Wiltshire, and that Westbury had been overlooked.
Westbury MP Dr Andrew Murrison recently met with Wiltshire’s Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) in Devizes to discuss a range of issues affecting his constituents. Subsequently, he wrote to the group’s chairman Dr Rowlands to ask if the old Westbury hospital site could be considered for the proposed 20-bed specialist dementia unit for Wiltshire.
In his reply to Dr Murrison dated 10th March, Dr Rowlands said, “In order that your request for consideration of Westbury can be followed in the appropriate way I have forwarded your letter to HealthWatch (who are coordinating the public consultation for the location of specialist dementia beds) so that the request can be included in the consultation and accordingly considered in the formulation of our plans.”
The letter warns, however, that the site would need to be re-acquired from NHS Property Services at some cost if it was thought suitable for the new unit.
Dr Andrew Murrison, who began his medical career as a porter in a cottage hospital when he was still at school said, “People in Westbury retain a strong sense of ownership of and commitment to the hospital since it belonged to the town before the advent of the NHS in the 1940s and was supported over many years by voluntary donations.
“It seems to me there is scope for utilising part of the site for the increasing healthcare needs of an ageing population.
“I welcome the CCG’s plans for a dementia unit and would be delighted if it could be located at the old Westbury hospital site. Westbury should be seriously considered as a preferred location. I know that would please the many local people who have worked tirelessly for the hospital over the years.”
In addition, a new action group is forming in Westbury to explore the possibility of reusing the hospital.
Members from the League of Friends, Royal British Legion, and many from the old Save the Hospital group have come together to fight back against the development.
The group’s first official meeting will be on Thursday 26th March.
Founder Mike Pearce said, “The consensus of Westbury people is that the planned development is a bad idea. If the site was used for health purposes and it had to be developed, that would be bearable, but we just don’t want it turned into houses.
“Our new, so far unnamed, group has formed to explore all options still open to the hospital. We are actively looking at all potential healthcare uses for the site, and making sure that organisations looking for medical sites know it’s there.
“The feeling is strong in the town that the hospital should be saved, and we will be coming up with a plan of action at our meeting on Thursday.”
