The Southern Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is holding two more public consultation meetings on the future of Heanor Memorial Hospital tomorrow, Wednesday 10th September. The first is at Langley Mill Miners Welfare between 2 PM and 4 PM, and the second is at St Lawrence Church, Heanor between 6 PM and 8 PM.
This is part of its wider consultation period that will end on Friday 8th October.
As you will know, I’ve been active on this issue since the hospital closed. I petitioned Parliament with 3,000 of my constituents’ signatures in March to see it reopen, and I’ve made several representations to the Clinical Commissioning Group to reopen the hospital.
I’m pleased to say that the progress we’ve made so far has been promising. We have been promised a £2.5m health building which will provide services that meet the health requirements of the population, including:
• An increased need for dementia services to be provided in Heanor, since the closest one currently is Ilkeston;
• There is a need for mental health services in Heanor and currently the demand cannot be met. This should change;
• A falls service is required in Heanor;
• Sexual health services are required due to the level of teenage pregnancy and related issues;
• The provision of minor surgery facilities in Heanor would prevent many people having to travel to Nottingham or Derby for very quick, simple operations. Many local GPs provide this and the CCG wants to make facilities available in Heanor;
• There is a need for improved community support, something which is being undertaken already;
• Extra outpatient services that have not been historically provided in Heanor are required more frequently in the town, and the CCG is looking at how it can do this;
• Healthy living and long-term illness services should be provided.
The main themes that the CCG has seen so far from discussions with the public include:
• Large support to demolish the existing site and build a new hospital;
• A need to be clear about what any new building would not include – including beds;
• The memorial status of the hospital is important – something that the CCG takes seriously;
• More services need bringing back in to Heanor, not least because of travel and parking issues in Ilkeston.
A full account of the consultation document can be downloaded here. The CCG’s preferred option is Option 5, and representatives from the CCG will explain why at the public meetings.
This does seem to represent good news in that they plan to have a new fit-for-purpose building on the site and that the funding is available. We clearly need to press them to ensure that the services provided in the wards are returned to Heanor. The timescale for the new building also looks quite slow and ought to be able to be accelerated.
Please let me know your views and I’ll keep the pressure on the CCG and others to ensure this is delivered.
Note that if you can’t attend the public meetings, you can respond here, email enquiries@www.southernderbyshireccg.nhs.uk or call 01332 888 080.