‘Lack of communication’ blamed for hospital woes

A COUNCIL’S health panel is to set up a working group to look at the future of Leek and Cheadle hospitals and the possibility of a dementia centre in the Staffordshire Moorlands.

At last week’s meeting of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council health overview and scrutiny panel, a debate took place on Leek Moorlands Hospital and its services along with calls for the beds returned to the site.

The move comes after a special meeting of Leek Town Council was packed to capacity two weeks ago which demonstrated the feeling of people from the Moorlands who want the hospital – with its beds and services – to remain.

Speaking at the health panel meeting, Councillor Linda Malyon said: “There has been £5.1 million spent on these premises in the last few years.

“If it was not for the Save Leek Hospital group the doors would not be open now. The beds are vital. A doctor has also told me that they are vital to the Moorlands.”

Councillor Brian Johnson said a lot of money raised through public subscription had also been put in to the hospital over the years.

He said: “Ten of thousands of pounds have been put into the hospital by people. People are passionate about the hospital and want it to be retained.”

Councillor Pam Wood said that without the beds the premises could not be called a hospital.

She said: “Thirty seven beds have been taken away. If there are less than two wards with beds it would not be viable.

“We are all aware of the work done at the hospital. It has had money spent on it during the last six years. The minor injuries unit is newly-built.

“This is a threat to our health care and it has been going on for four years.”

Councillor John Jones, who is also the chairman of the district council, said that he wanted to make it clear that everyone was on the same side and wanted to save the hospital.

He said: “People are not listening. We have to keep banging a drum to the Clinical Commissioning Group.”

District Council leader Sybil Ralphs said that the whole process had started because of a lack of communication from the CCG.

She said: “Three hundred people attended one public meeting at St Edward’s school. I have been to meetings at Stafford and London. The district council has had a vote of no confidence in the CCG. I have also met with our MP and the former health secretary in London.

“Now this part of the consultation is coming to an end. People are concerned that the bulldozers are going in and it will be a building site.

“But there are no plans to withdraw services from the Moorlands hospital. I have had conversations with the CCG and there are ambitious and exciting proposals for the site.

“There will be a meeting of a joint health scrutiny committee including the county council, Stoke-on-trent City Council and the Moorlands Council on September 25 to look at the information collated.

“The minor injuries unit will remain and be enlarged. This is an old Victorian building – I would not mind if some of it was bulldozed if we were going to enlarge the facilities there. We have an opportunity to have services we are proud of.

“I would like to reassure people that Leek Moorlands Hospital is safe.”

Councillor Charlotte Atkins said that there was not enough space on the present site to have a dementia unit.

She said: “Kniveden is the obvious choice for a residential centre. There is a desperate need for this facility in the Moorlands. The Moorland hospital does not just cover Leek, it is for the whole district.

“There is a concern that we could have a hospital without any beds. These beds are crucial to the Staffordshire Moorlands.”