Fears For Thame Hospital

STAKEHOLDERS in Thame?s Community hospital are fearful about its future.
The Chair of the hospital?s Day Centre Trust, Brenda Prosser, says that she and other users of the hospital have been ?kept in the dark? and not consulted about the hospital?s future, since work to build an extension to increase the number of beds did not materialise as planned last March.
Two years ago, the Vale of Aylesbury Primary Care Trust, which runs the hospital, decided to close its top floor for fire and safety reasons which reduced the number of beds from 24 to 11.
Ms Prosser told ThameNews.Net that at a meeting last May, the PCT said that they were looking at other options for the site, including building a new health centre and a replacement for Meadowcroft, Thame?s residential home for the elderly in Towersey Road.
?That proposal has apparently now gone by the board,? said Ms Prosser.
Since then, the Day Centre Trust has received a letter from the Director of Finance for the PCT, which stated: ??there is a high level of commitment from the PCT Board to developing Thame Hospital. The PCT believes the expansion to 24 beds in Thame is in line with strategy as set out in ?Shaping Health Services? and capacity requirements arising from the Stoke Mandeville PFI (Private Finance Initiative). ?HOWEVER (Ed.?s emphasis), this development is still subject to approval by Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority and affordability of plans will be a key consideration.?
?In other words,? said Ms Prosser, ?the money may not be there.
?If the Health Authority doesn?t approve, it?s hard to see how economically viable the hospital will be with only 11 beds!
?If the hospital is closed, where will the Day Centre Go? Where will the respite team go, and the Physiotherapy service, the mental health service and the Speech Thereapy?
?The Day Centre and hospital mean so much to this town; it really is invaluable for the respite care it offers and whilst everything is up in the air and nothing assured, we will feel insecure and anxious until we know exactly what is happening. The answers we have been given to our letters and questions are not good enough. This work should have started 12 months ago and I would like to know where that money has gone. This is a very valuable site, including the extension which was built in 1983 after a big drive, by public contributions.?
Neither Colin Foster nor Shaun Brogan was available for comment today.