Hospitals shake-up has left me a bit baffled
I’VE read the consultation document about the future of our hospitals. And I’m a bit confused.
They’ve got £450 million to spend and we’ll end up with two hospitals instead of three.
All the Royal Infirmary’s and the General’s acute work, with associated wards and clinics, is going to a hugely revamped Glenfield.
They’re planning a multi-storey car park at the new Glenfield. It had better be a big one. I hope the access roads are up to it.
Emergencies are going to stay at the Royal Infirmary and it does make sense to separate emergencies from acute.
The Kensington building of the Royal Infirmary will be converted into a children’s hospital.
A new maternity hospital, the biggest in Europe I gather, is also to be on the Royal Infirmary’s site.
I should have thought that the higher, less polluted, more accessible site of the General would be better for these.
Some of the General’s land is to be sold off for the building of houses. The NHS consultation document says that these are for key workers but the City of Leicester Plan says that only 30 per cent will be “affordable housing”.
Okay, I’m not an expert and I noticed that the hospitals plan is endorsed by some impressive clinicians.
The consultation document provided an e-mail address to get a link to an online meeting that would give me further information.
So I e-mailed. Three times. No reply. So I’m still left wondering why we are spending £450 million to go down to two hospitals instead of three – particularly as Covid has highlighted the need for extra capacity, as did the 2018 flu epidemic and as will future epidemics.
Brian Wilson, Leicester