Opinion: Derbyshire Save Our NHS – Babington Hospital Steers Toward Closure
Plans to close Babington Hospital in Belper and replace it with fewer services further away were published on Friday 23rd June at the Southern Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) meeting in Derby.
At the same time, the government’s Naylor Report encourages C.C.Gs to sell off NHS land as a means of finding funding. We completely oppose this.
We oppose a reduction or a transfer of services since they reflect the significant cut-backs in funding for the NHS
Babington’s Ward closures, including the Day Ward, would break up the much valued and highly qualified medical team. Further it would mean that the most vulnerable patients would have to go to already overstretched Ripley Hospital or the more distant Ashbourne, Ilkeston or Chesterfield Hospitals.
Local patients and medical staff are concerned that the new facility could be like the Florence Shipley facility in Heanor which cannot cope with those with patients more challenging needs
Although Derbyshire health managers claim that Care at Home is preferable, there is an increasing amount of evidence from such respected research institutes as the King’s Fund that Care at Home cannot effectively replace Acute or Community Hospital provision. It is also important to note that currently there is no adequate funding to implement this safely and effectively.
Derbyshire Save Our NHS insists that full and appropriate funding is made available to either continue the Babington facilities as a much respected Community Hospital or that any changes do not break up staff teams or offer fewer or more limited services, while selling off the land to private developers.
PUBLIC MEETING MONDAY 10th July 7.30 Strutts Community Centre, Belper. William Jones from DCHS invited
For additional information please contact:
Christine Jordan: chrisinaddis@yahoo.co.uk or
Keith Venables: venables_keith@yahoo.co.uk
Photo: Emma Clinton
This is the next stage of the Conservatives profiteering and privatision of the NHS. Babbington was gifted to the people of Belper – we should DEMAND that if the NHS move out, then it reverts to ownership by the town, and that ALL NHS services currently at the hospital continue elsewhere within the town.
Not sure they can sell off the site as was left to the people of Belper.
Allegedly so were Gibfield Lane swimming baths but they were sold off.
This Conservative Council will not be happy untill Babington has gone and people have to travel 15/20 miles for appointments or treatment.It is the same will house building there are enough brown field sites but no they want to destroy every bit of green belt they can get there hands on.It is time the people of Belper came together witH a vote of No Confidence in AVBC While people like Buttery.Taylor and the Booth’s are running it.they make a laughing stock of the so called Caring Sharing Council.
Gibfield Lane Swimming Baths were left to the people of belper by the Strutt family to enjoy. Untill the council got there hands on it.Next thing LOW and BEHOLD it was sold by them and what did they do with the Money they got for it but they will never tell you where it went.Something else we lost.
So was Green Lane car park, now the people if Belper pay to park on it, and part was used for The Green house Dominoes and the charity shop!
I think its a great shame , a solid building unlike the royal which are constantly struggling for beds I have worked in the trust for 30yrs now
A long way for frail and vunerable people to travel
The outpatient is one of the most friendly and proffesuonal places I have attended, i think they will regret closng it
Its a assest to the community why not compamise and use some of the building for rehab flats or sheltered housing?
As a practical reason, consider someone that the doctors at the Royal Derby have prescribed antibiotics for. The proviso being that if they dont work they should be given intravenously for presumably a few days. It would not be practical someone to have a drip at home, yet they would be taking a valuable bed needed by someone seriously ill. Its seems to me that the Babington would be ideal for this function.