Not enough beds at Southmead's super-hospital
Massive house building is set to leave the proposed
super-hospital in Southmead 250 beds short just a decade after
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Not enough beds at Southmead's super-hospital
it opens.
Health chiefs admitted to Northavon MP Steve Webb there
would be a shortfall when the hospital opened in 2013 and
suggested it would be made up by private sector provision in
Emersons Green.
But the North Bristol NHS Trust also said it had previously
made no projections for bed numbers beyond the hospital opening
date.
Using figures provided by the trust, Mr Webb calculated a
rising population was likely to mean around 250 extra beds
would be needed to serve local people by 2026.
In response to his calculations, the trust said even more
services would be moved into the community to cut bed
demand.
It also told him there was provision in the Southmead
contract for expansion of the hospital and car park if
needed.
But the Liberal Democrat MP now plans to challenge ministers
over the lack of hospital capacity when he leads a
parliamentary debate in October on major house building plans
across the west of England.
Mr Webb said he had approached the trust to find out how
government plans for thousands of new homes would affect the
future demand for hospital beds.
He said: "It is common sense that if tens of thousands of
new homes are built in our area, we will need a lot more
hospital beds.
"In particular, with a vast expansion of housing in South
Gloucestershire, it is madness to be closing Frenchay, South
Gloucestershire's only major hospital.
"To add insult to injury, the proposed 'super-hospital' at
Southmead will not be nearly large enough to cope with the
demands of the vast increase in the local population."
Mr Webb is now urging a re-think of the "short-sighted
plans".
He said David Tappin, director of strategic development at
the trust, told him in a letter that plans for local hospital
services were based on a growth in demand of 1.2 per cent a
year up to 2013.
If the number of planned new homes are built, annual growth
will be 1.5 per cent a year, leaving the new hospital around 20
beds short when it opens.
Mr Tappin told Mr Webb the new independent sector treatment
centre to be built at Emersons Green would have an extra 20
beds compared with the original plan.
The MP said using the 1.5 per cent growth figure between
2013 and 2026, bed demand would rise by around 21 per cent.
With the outline business case produced by the trust assuming
total bed demand of 1,230 in 2013, an increase of 21 per cent
would mean 258 extra beds would be needed.
11 Comments
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by Steve, Bristol
Monday, September 01 2008, 9:58PM
“"Real" Bristolian,
You just written one of the biggest loads of tripe I've ever read.
"Frenchay is old and out of date"
I assume you mean the hospital. What the hell is Southmead then? And there's virtually no room to expand Southmead but there's loads of room to expand Frenchay.
"New housing will regenerate the area."
Oh please! Have you ever actually been to Frenchay? It doesn't need regeneration you plank - you've got to be minted to live there!
"Frenchay can be developed for new expensive housing raising massive amounts of money for the development of fantastic health care services in Southmead."
Do you really, really, in your wildest dreams think that the money raised from selling land to developers (currently not a great deal) would go to investment in health services in Southmead? Of course it won't - it'll go straight into Alistair Darling's coffers to prop up his and Gordon's failing Government.
"When was health care judged on how easy it is to get to a hospital by car?"
Maybe not by car, but by ambulance it would be a helluva lot quicker to get to Frenchay from virtually anywhere in South Glos. than it would to struggle through the gridlock on Southmead Rd.
Struth. some people really haven't a clue.
KEEP FRENCHAY OPEN!!!”
by Jeremy Gardner, Speedwell
Monday, September 01 2008, 4:55PM
“I always enjoy Steve Webb's little rants. The way he goes on he'd have people believe that South Gloucestershire was an actual place!”
by Real Bristolian, Brizzle
Monday, September 01 2008, 4:06PM
“When was health care judged on how easy it is to get to a hospital by car?
You lot simply dont get it do you?
Frenchay can be developed for new expensive housing raising massive amounts of money for the development of fantastic health care services in Southmead.
Frenchay is old and out of date. New housing will regenerate the area.
I am interested in saving lives its clear the save Frenchay supporters are not.”
by Ray, Auckland NZ
Monday, September 01 2008, 8:16AM
“You are right , we are laughing in NZ ,
Frenchay = world class head/burns injuries units - good access , so they close it !!!!!!!???.
Southmead= good but stuck with no decent access and will have no real room to grow .”
by Charles, Hanham
Sunday, August 31 2008, 7:56PM
“It seems that the people responsible for the hospital re-organisation are more interested in Pounds than Patients.
It is obvious to anyone who knows anything about Bristol that Soutmead is a nightmare to get to wheras Frenchy is relatively easy, has a good reputation, Area Head and Burns units, helicopter pad and generally a better bet than Southmead
Pounds before Patients. Keep Frenchay open”
by Ali, Bristol
Sunday, August 31 2008, 6:45PM
“I agree - keep Frenchay open. OK apparently there is less land space but there is a 100% satisfactory road network in place. No, they want to shut down one of the best burns and head injuries units in the country.”
by david, bedminster
Sunday, August 31 2008, 3:42PM
“Yes they laugh about this in New Zealand we have become the laughing stock of the South West with these idiots runningit.”
by i hate this government, Finishing off what guy fawkes started
Sunday, August 31 2008, 3:17PM
“what the hell is going on in this country!
we are going to sink if this bl**dy government builds more houses!”
by John Berry, Bristol
Sunday, August 31 2008, 3:01PM
“KEEP FRENCAY OPEN..Let's face it Southmead Hospital is a nightmare to get to and can be jammed up with traffic at peak periods.Frenchay has easier acsess and space for developement..As for building "Massive Housing",with the way resession is building who will be able to buy them ??.”
by Shelly, Bradley Stoke
Sunday, August 31 2008, 12:07PM
“I have an idea
KEEP FRENCHAY OPEN!!!!
It's not rocket science”