Page 18 - link magazine

18 The Link Magazine • December 1997
—r...
--'.-- Are the new hospital plans cut
1.41 - A.
rDreeO1JQT --,. -•' — I.-
too close to the bone?
th& Occaim/ DENISE'S The debate about Swindon's an early decision, are supporters
Handmade gowns DRAPES proposed new hospital reaches a of the Commonhead site on
crescendo in December when Swindon's east side.
and cocktail wear Professionally made
Swindon Councils planning Taking a different view are those
For sale or hire MADE TO MEASURE committee meets to consider an who believe there are many
CURTAINS application to build a replacement questions being left unanswered
To discuss your
Friendly personal service for PMH. by hospital planners and are
requirements,
from measuring to hanging On one side, lobbying hard for calling for more public consultation.
call Hilary on
(01666) 510306. FESTOON BLINDS,
CUSHIONS, BEDDING, etc
10 minutes from Swindon. Link reader David Packham from Lydiard Millicent, a Liberal
Easy Parking.
Tel: Swindon 770600 Democrat councillor on North Wilts District Council, considers
whether the proposed hospital is going to be big enough.
Jensons tor Senior School Uniform. FREE CAR PARK
BOUGHT & SOLD Princess Margaret Hospital was My motion to North Wilts Dis-
built in the 1950s and it is now trict Council calls for more consul-
Video! Hi-Fi I TV/Microwaves inadequate to meet today's needs. tation on the site and a fuller ex-
0)
C) Washing Machines! Dishwashers The population it serves has planation to the public of what the
Fridges / Freezers! Cookers, etc.
0 grown way beyond anyone's ex- implications are for healthcare
Specialists in: + Full guarantees pectations when it was planned services if the plans go ahead.
Wedding Hire, c o o + Top cash prices paid for goods and waiting lists are long. Swindon will have 20,000 (plus)
under 5 years old
The catchment area is extensive, new dwellings and the rest of the
•u School Uniform, • Installation - Delivery - All leading makes taking in parts of Gloucestershire, catchment area will have (roughly)
King Size
suosuep ioj Alteration Tailoring Dept. VISIT OUR SWINDON SHOWROOM Berkshire, Oxfordshire, most of a further 20,000 houses by the year
Menswear
Wiltshire and all of Swindon, only 2011. This will meet the County
and our own in house
'44C4
half of the patients come from the Structure Plan demand for 70,000
Buluea[3 Open: 9am - 530pm, Wed 9am -1 pm, 0 cme4tC ,4fft&ced Borough. The total population of new dwellings in Wiltshire alone.
124 Cricklade Road, Swindon
the catchment is more than 275,000
So the population served by the
Telephone: (01793) 642211
0500 080016
and there are 600 beds.
new hospital could be 375,000 peo-
Private funding (FF1) require-
Sat 9am - 5pm • Free car park -
Gorse Hill, Swindon
this rate there will be 40% more
Jensons for Wedding Hire. FREE CAR PARK 152 - 154 Cricklade Road, ments have put pressure on plan- ple nine years after it opens. At
ners to push through their pre- people served by 10% fewer beds.
ferred site for the new hospital at One explanation I was offered
DRIVER THEORY Commonhead. Until the last few for this was 'but the new popula-
weeks there has been little consul- tion growth will be predominantly
TRAINING CENTRE tation. But now we are told that if younger incomers.'
the plan does not go ahead Swin-
s]
R The first people moved into West
don may lose the chance of a new
A1L_S1FJ(1pj
Swindon over 21 years ago. Many
hospital.
are still there, having put down
Ltd. Although the Commonhead site roots and brought up families.
is a little larger than the over-
SPECIALISTS IN 8/10 HOUR MULTI MEDIA INTENSIVE Right now, younger incomers are
crowded PMH site it can only ac-
COURSES FROM 10.YEARS OF AGE commodate 540 beds, 10% fewer. moving into Abbey Meads and the
DAYS - EVEININGS - WEEKENDS Planners say that greater empha- northern expansion areas.
COVERING: SWINDON, CHIPPENHAM, TROWBRIDGE, BRISTOL & BATH sis on primary care, more minor I am not sure where the next
surgery to be done at CF surgeries decade's incomers will be located,
FOR MORE INFORMATION but I do know for sure that we are,
etc., will lead to reduction in the
FREEPHONE 0800 146455 average stay in hospital from the all of us, getting older.
present 6.5 days to 5.3 days, so that Swindon North MP Michael
HO, 15 NEW ROAD, WOOUON BASSETT a smaller hospital will be able to Wills is reported as saying, 'we
cope. must face up to the reality,' and
Of course we should not waste argues that the 'political realities'
Life's cosier pear to be so badly flawed we re- mean we must hurry and decide
resources, but when the plans ap-
on the Commonhead site.
with a ally should be saying 'hang on, I believe that most people reli-
lets check that we are getting this ant on the delivery of good, sensi-
right'. It will be no comfort to any tive and caring health services do
living flame of us to find that in 10 to 15 years not give a fig for the 'politics' of
time we have another 'PMH situa- this issue. They care about having
tion' on our hands. a new hospital in Swindon capable
The planners tell me they used of meeting the needs of the fast
someone from the London School expanding population.
of Economics to produce a compu- More consultation is clearly
THE ter model to calculate the size of needed. My Swindon Borough
the new hospital. However com-
EIREPLAC Showroom at: 1 Rodbourne Rd puters can only work from the in- Council Liberal Democrat col-
league Mike Evemy is spot on
I CENTRE Swindon • Tel: (01793) 612288 formation fed into them. We have when he says that, 'scaring people
to ask, did they use the correct
Specialists in Fireplaces, Gas Effect Fires, Rue Systems into accepting Commonhead is not
data on population growth? particularly helpful.