Longridge campaigners demand answers on hospital bed return

Longridge campaigners are continuing to demand: “When are our hospital beds coming back?”.

Residents held a peaceful protest on Saturday to call for the return of hospital beds to Longridge Community Hospital.

Supporters, patients, former patients, local residents and Councillors gathered to demonstrate their continuing concern about the temporary relocation of the hospital ward and the uncertainty surrounding its return.

The hospital has a remarkable history of community action. At its official opening in 2001, Sheila Maw, then Chairman of CommuniCare NHS Trust, recognised the ten years of campaigning by local people to secure new facilities for the town and surrounding parishes.

She also recorded that, following the determination of Longridge people and the local Community Health Council, the then Secretary of State refused to allow Ribchester Hospital to close until alternative facilities had been created in the Longridge and Ribchester area.

The original opening speech also spoke of the importance of a local health facility “dedicated to the needs of local people”, describing that belief as being firmly embedded in the hearts of the community.

Group member, Susan Dewhurst, said: “When are our hospital beds coming back to Longridge? Our community has been asking this question for far too long.

“Our hospital is a vital part of our community, and as we approach its 25th anniversary in November, we now find ourselves having to fight for its beds again.

“The protest on Saturday showed that the community is still standing together. We are not going away until we have clear answers about the future of our hospital.”

Campaigners say they will continue to seek clear answers about when the ward will return to Longridge and what the future holds for the hospital and the local community.

In July, A petition calling for the reinstatement of inpatient beds at Longridge Community Hospital was presented in Parliament.

Ribble Valley MP Maya Ellis spoke in the House of Commons on behalf of campaigners fighting the temporary relocation of inpatient beds to Chorley Hospital - a trip that can involve four buses and four hours, not including visiting time.

Mrs Ellis said: “The petition calls for the government to direct NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board to commit to a full reopening of the hospital to provide health services to benefit the community.

“It also urges that fire safety concerns are promptly addressed and a timeline provided to reassure residents of when to expect a resolution to their concerns.

“The petition is backed by a paper petition and one online, totalling more than 3,000 names. This will now be printed in Hansard, the official report of all parliamentary debates, and sent to the relevant ministerial department for a response.”

Last year the ward was temporarily reduced from 15 beds to five due to fire safety concerns. Although a programme of works was approved to upgrade the building, further inspections identified wider issues and in November, NHS partners decided to close the inpatient ward altogether “to ensure ongoing safety for our patients and colleagues”.

Longridge Community Hospital itself remains open with outpatient clinics continuing as normal and the inpatient ward -which is for patients who require either post-surgical care, medical care, rest and recuperation or palliative care - temporarily relocated to Chorley Hospital and named Longridge@Cuerden.