‘We should replace our hospitals with one new building’
Health boss exclusive:
THE chief executive of hospitals in Ormskirk and Southport says he wants to see a single new facility replace both sites.
Silas Nicholls said that building a new hospital would be the most efficient way to improve services in the region.
Mr Nicholls, who will leave the role later this year for a similar job at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh (WWL) NHS Trust, outlined the problems facing the trust – including the area’s rising and ageing population – at a meeting with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in Southport on Tuesday.
One key issue, he said, was loan repayments which cost the trust £4m each year “before I’ve even turned the lights on”.
This had a major impact on budgets, he said, while frequently operating at 90% occupancy meant there was little room for flexibility between departments.
Mr Corbyn, meanwhile, raised fears that the number of care homes closing down was having a punishing impact on hospitals and welcomed a proposal from Liz Savage, who is to run for MP in Southport in the next general election, to create a 24-hour walkin centre in Southport.
The three were speaking at Remedy gin bar in Lord Street in Southport, before a business round
table held by Mr Corbyn in the venue as part of a tour of the North West.
According to Mr Nicholls, the ever-increasing pressures on the hospitals meant that major investment must be made to upgrade Southport Hospital – which celebrated its 30th birthday in May – to build a new site.
He said: “It’s past its operational life and I think we are getting to the point where we’re going to have to invest in an upgrade of the existing hospital or a new hospital. One of the things I’ve been working very closely with the council and the NHS locally is about trying to secure that funding.
“If we did nothing we’d have to spend at least £20m just on the backlog of maintenance on the place so that’s issue number one.”
He added: “My preference would be for a newbuild. I think when you actually look at the cost of a new building versus the cost of just keeping our two existing sites, economically it makes far more sense to do that.
“But also more importantly, actually in terms of giving people good, 21st century facilities it’s got to be the right answer.”
● What do you think? Email reporter Jamie Lopez at: jamie.lopez@reachplc.com