"Rather than super hospitals, why don't we have super wages for super staff.": Readers' reaction to plans for Royal Preston Hospital

A statement issued in October 2020 revealed the Government was considering replacing both hospitals and either building two new ones or building a super-hospital on the M6 corridor.

But on Tuesday (March 10), the NHS in Lancashire and South Cumbria revealed the idea had been discounted from the shortlist after "detailed consideration".

The shortlist reflects feedback gathered from more than 12,000 local people, patients, NHS staff, community representatives and stakeholders over the last year.

Many reader felt the existing Royal Preston Hospital site desperately needed rennovation.

Here’s a selection of what our readers had to say on our Facebook page.

Steph Wood: RPH needs to be a new hospital. The ward bays aren’t big enough, the corridors aren’t wide enough to house equipment and get patient beds past, there isn’t enough storage, the recovery department isn’t big enough.

Tracey Mawson Lockie: Get rid of 'waste of time' middle management, who walk around all day with coffee cups and that would free up more than enough money to refurb the existing hospitals!! These people serve no purpose whatsoever, other than to dictate to their underappreciated staff and to boost their already inflated egos!!

Jane Kitchen: My personal view is The estate at RPH just isn’t big enough to deliver the state of the art care we need and to try and extend/ modernise is too expensive so we really need a fit for purpose new build with like others have said green space, adequate parking for staff and visitors that won’t annoy local residents wards that allow care with dignity and the right level of individual rooms that supports infection control, with an A&E/urgent care centre that can meet the growing demand of our population. If we have a purpose built state of the art facility we will also attract staff that want to work in it.

Christine Seed Green: I knew this would happen when they got the new Nightingale Hospital up on the parking site. Expect it up for another 20 years now although it was meant to be temporary. They may build something on there permanent at some time but either way, we will not get the parking spaces back which are badly needed for those who depend on their cars for regular appointments and emergencies

Mala Watson: How many times does this happen with new ideas! The amount of time and money it's taken people to put these plans together and visualise only to end up like this!

Annmarie Tilston: Reopen Chorley hospital properly, have full time AE give not just the doctors and nurses a pay rise, give it to the care assistants too

Rodger Bradley: Another example of kicking it into the long grass to save money. They talk a good case, but actions speak louder than words. They don’t even have proper integration of IT systems, whether databases, data sharing, booking, referrals, etc.But hey ho let’s have another consultation or survey, followed by weeks and months of nothing.

Melissa Maudsley: They both need partial rebuilds in my opinion. The hospitals should stay where they are, but they both need updating for sure.

Benny Clarke: Something needs sorting. My wife was in RPH from Sunday and spent 2 days being moved round A&E side rooms with sepsis and severe pneumonia and her discharge notes had that she’d only been in since Tuesday.

Helen Spear: Rather than super hospitals, why don't we have super wages for super staff! It will attract more to the professions, retain them and reduce the need to merge.

Susan Walsh: Spending all that money on a super cycle highway throughout and around Preston but have a decaying hospital and no cash for a new one

Joanne Griffiths: They need both hospitals and a super hospital to reduce the waiting times of people seriously ill and people sat in corridors, sleeping on floors and ambulances queuing.