A campaign group to ‘save’ Wycombe Hospital is calling for urgent action amid the withdrawal of services from a tower block that is no longer fit for purpose.
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust said last month that the tower at Wycombe Hospital will “not be fit for clinical use” within five years.
A spokesperson for the trust told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that services are already being removed from the eight-storey 1960s building ahead of expected deterioration.
While the trust has reportedly asked the government for up to £200 million to fund a purpose-built planned care centre for the town, local campaign group Save Wycombe Hospital has raised concerns about a gap in healthcare services before an appropriate replacement facility is found.
A representative for the group said: “We’ve had a big influx of people joining our Facebook group (recently) and we’ve read comments such as (that) it would be ‘criminal’ to pull down a hospital without having a replacement ready and that Wycombe Hospital is in ‘a perfect place’.
“If the building really can’t be saved, then one of similar capacity should be built on Queen Alexandra Road before the tower block is removed.
“Ultimately, a fully functioning hospital must be planned for local residents and there should be no further loss of services from the site.”
READ MORE: Councillor hits back at claims that High Wycombe is 'neglected' by Bucks Council
They also shared fears from residents of being forced to travel to an “already overloaded” Stoke Mandeville Hospital for treatment and racking up significant travel costs.
Lisa Sanders, who lives in High Wycombe, said: “Stoke is overwhelmed, they can’t cope. People in Wycombe need a hospital. They can build flats everywhere, but no hospital. It’s terrible.”
Sally Evans previously told the LDRS that she didn’t mind the tower being covered in scaffolding “as long as we’ve got a hospital in Wycombe”.
Adding: “They are absolutely wonderful here. I’ve had treatment in the bit with the scaffolding inside. It’s not the end of the world.”
The representative for Save Wycombe Hospital said: “Our campaign has been running for a number of years and has gained support from across the community.
"People care deeply about our hospital and losing more services would be totally unacceptable. It is absolutely imperative that we have resources here.”
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