Accrington Victoria Community Hospital to close: Building in "critical condition"
Health bosses have announced that services will move out of Accrington Victoria Community Hospital, saying the building is in a “critical condition”.
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) said the building in Haywood Road, Accrington, say they are “so sorry” to make the decision, but said that main services would remain in the town for local people, with most moving only around a mile away.
Chief Executive Martin Hodgson said: “I am so sorry we have to move out, but the simple truth is that the building is beyond repair or reconfiguration as a health care facility and we have been unable to keep on top of the immense, routine maintenance required for quite some time.
“Large parts of it are closed, the roof has collapsed in a number of places, it’s full of asbestos and the heating system originally fired by three boilers is down to one, which if it fails simply cannot be repaired. It is dangerous to remain there as we head into winter and, sadly, the building no longer provides the kind of environment we need for patients or our teams.”
Hyndburn Borough Council said it is “deeply saddened and concerned” by the news - and has vowed to hold the Trust to account over services and the future of the building.
Services
The Trust has guaranteed that the four main services currently provided at the hospital will remain local and be relocated just a short distance away at either Accrington PALS in the town centre or Acorns in Blackburn Road. These services are the Minor Injuries Unit (MIU), X-Ray, Outpatients and GP services delivered by PWE Healthcare.
Mr Hodgson added: “We’ll move these services as quickly as we can to ensure there is minimal disruption to patients and their care and we will work with colleagues across the local authority and wider health and social care system to do this together and provide as much information as we can about where things are going to be.”
What if you have an appointment?
If you are a patient with an upcoming appointment at Accrington Victoria please continue to attend in line with those arrangements, unless you hear otherwise about a change in the time or the place.
Celebrating the heritage and preserving the building
Once the moves are completed, the Trust said it was committed to working with local people including Hyndburn Borough Council, MP Sarah Smith and the wider community in the town to both celebrate Accrington Victoria’s rich history and ensure investment was secured to protect its legacy for the future.
Mr Hodgson said: “I know how strongly people in Accrington feel about the hospital and I want to respect and recognise its incredible history, right at the heart of the town since 1894 and certainly before the NHS began. “ He added: “The Trust is committed to this and that includes ensuring any redevelopment is sensitive to the physical and historical elements of the site. Our aim is to retain the facades and character of the building and bring it back into purposeful use for local people. This is similar to the Dovestones facility we created in Burnley, which has been hugely successful and has changed the lives of people who live there and use it for the better.”
In moving out of Accrington Victoria, the Trust has also shared its intention to celebrate the history of the site and the contribution of everyone who has worked in it or been there as a patient or a visitor.
Mr Hodgson added: “We want to ensure all of the memories, the key moments in life that have happened there and all of the artefacts, images and historical plaques on the walls are preserved and cherished for the future. I would ask people with a connection to Accy Vic or who have a story or a photograph they’d like to share to get in touch – we would absolutely love to hear and see them – and maybe they will spark ideas about what happens next.”
This is what Hyndburn Borough Council said:
A spokesman said: “We are deeply saddened and concerned by this decision. Accrington Victoria Hospital has been a vital asset for our residents for over 100 years and still provides many services.
“We fully understand the community will be concerned as this hospital has been a cornerstone of our town since 1894, providing invaluable services and support to countless residents over the years.
“Many of our Councillors have previously campaigned alongside residents to keep Accrington Victoria Hospital open during past threats of closure, recognising its critical role in our community. We want to assure residents that we have voiced our concerns to the leaders at East Lancashire Hospitals Trust. However, we have been informed that it is no longer safe to continue operating services from this building.
“Whilst we will continue discussions with ELHT on the future of the building, our initial priority is to ensure that all services currently delivered from Accrington Victoria Hospital, including Minor Injuries, X-Ray, GP services, and others, remain within the town. We have received assurances from ELHT that these services will be swiftly transferred to other sites in Accrington and we will hold them to account on these assurances. Residents will still have access to a Minor Injuries Unit in Accrington, which we know is a vital service for our community.
Additionally, we are committed to working closely with ELHT to ensure that if Accrington Victoria Hospital cannot be reopened in its current form, that it is repurposed in a way that retains the proud history of the building and provides a service for the community.”
Further information
Details of all of the moves relating to services will be added to a dedicated area of the Trust’s website at www.elht.nhs.uk and if you have any questions, comments, ideas for the future or memories of the past, email [email protected].