Campaigners call for answers on hospital

CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save Hinckley’s cottage hospital have called on health bosses to explain why the building is ‘not fit for purpose’ and why it can’t be made so.

The Mount Road site faces possible closure in a shake-up of health provision in the borough and across the county.

West Leicestershire Clinical Commissioning Group say the Victorian building doesn’t meet modern standards and cannot be refurbished to bring it up to date.

Problems providing piped anaesthesia gas and inability to offer cancer screening are two of the main issues.

However many local people are unhappy with the proposal and say services should remain at Hinckley and District Hospital, which has stood for more than 116 years.

Lynda Gibbs, leader of the Save our Hinckley Cottage Hospital presented a petition with around 11,000 signatures to the full council meeting last week.

As per council rules she was given three minutes to introduce the subject with discussion following.

Unhappy about the events, Lynda said: “I feel that three minutes is totally inadequate to put forward a petition of this magnitude and local importance.

“I was also disappointed in the rude way that my presentation was stopped.

“I was given no warning of my time nearing its end, not even a respectful “excuse me”, just an abrupt five words, “your three minutes are up” followed by the discussion, which, I felt was conducted as a point scoring exercise, the ruling party versus the opposition.

“All this went on in front of members of the public sitting in the gallery. It is my belief that these councillors, all voted in by the general public, should show a bit of decorum and respect for each other.”

Lynda said the campaign was not intended to be political and was entirely focused on saving the hospital paid for by public subscription and which still has a busy theatre offering 17 proce- dures ranging from cataracts to colonoscopies.

She added while millions of pounds was being pumped into larger hospitals in the area, Hinckley seemed to be missing out

“They tell us that it has asbestos problems, but despite constant requests, we are still to see a report. They tell us that corridors are too narrow, so widen them. Rooms are too small, knock down walls, fit RSJs.

“They can’t put in piped gas for operations, why not? Show us the reasons.

“Hinckley and District Hospital has been standing solid for 117 years. It’s come through two world wars. There are always solutions to problems. You just have to look harder.”