Surbiton Hospital

Last year, my Nanna spent 3 months convalescing in Surbiton Hospital. We learnt the benefits of a local hospital, providing quality medical and nursing care, where relatives and friends can visit easily.

So in the battle over Surbiton Hospital’s future, I’m more certain than ever that we must keep this precious community resource. Surbiton Hospital must re-open. I’m now waiting for answers from health chiefs managing the hospital, to my demand for categorical assurances that there will be no sell-off.

Yet I’m also convinced we need massive investment at Surbiton. For while there are many excellent aspects to the services there – the dedicated staff and the gardens for patients to enjoy– it’s all too clear that the buildings need major modernisation, with new facilities and services. So the real prize I’m campaigning for is for an expanded Surbiton Hospital.

Of course, this needs money. Yet actually, Surbiton’s NHS has the means, if there’s the will. I’ve already put forward 3 ideas for generating investment funds locally.

Part of the problem is central Government’s incessant meddling. Ministers reorganise the structure of the NHS almost every 2 years. So we get an ever-changing series of bodies and managers, who never stay long enough to understand local problems and solve them.

They now plan yet another change, which could hinder our efforts to save Surbiton. Unless we act fast and build a community-wide campaign. So please join us.