Kentish Express Ashford & District
When new hospital was less cramped
In recent weeks, the news has been seriously dominated by the coronavirus outbreak. Upgraded to a pandemic in the last few days, the vicious virus is of great concern to all of us, especially for those with pre-existing medical problems and of course the elderly.
As yet, no immunity has been devised to protect us. Strict hand washing has been advised in the fight against the virus and even the stopping of handshaking. From manufacturers to supermarkets, the country is running out of sanitisers, soap and toilet rolls amid panic buying. With self-isolation primarily advised to those symptomatic of the virus, there are of course the other medical needs to be considered of those requiring the services of a hospital.
In recent times, the media has portrayed the NHS as ‘struggling’ and being ‘outdated’ which is not an unfair assumption to make. One has to experience a first hand example of this and recently I did.
The William Harvey Hospital for instance, has just celebrated its 40th birthday and has been progressively extended over time but with the tiniest, cramped Accident and Emergency building housing the department, much more cramped than it ever was when new in 1978/79.
That department in the hospital at Lacton Green is a prime example of a struggling NHS. With seemingly plentiful staff on any given day, the department ‘shoehorns’ in patients who in turn spill out into corridors and any available gap possible. With the William Harvey the nearest A&E to Canterbury, whose hospital had its A&E closed, Ashford’s emergency service is at breaking point. The hospital wasn’t built for such a capacity and with badly thought-out plans to make waiting areas smaller internally and space pinched for other rooms, thus dividing sections off, organised chaos is inevitable.
There are going to be people that don’t know they’ve got the virus and still visit the hospital, which thankfully has a contingency for isolation of virus carriers, so a sensible approach needs to be taken to limit waiting times in mass gatherings at an overstretched A&E.
This week’s trio of pictures give an internal appraisal of the William Harvey Hospital during construction in 1978 with its spacious design, much of which has been either altered or compromised by overcapacity and bad planning. One needs a purposeful emergency service on their doorstep and not to feel put off when in need of emergency medical assistance.
■ Do you have photographs or slides of old Ashford for possible feature? Write to me Steve Salter, Kentish Express Remember When, Unit 4, Park Mall Shopping Centre, Ashford TN24 8RY email rememberwhen_kmash@hotmail.co.uk or leave a telephone message on 01233 623232.