Fight for Surbiton Hospital

The amazing campaign to keep Surbiton Hospital open could be won. But we need your help!

The consultation over the short term ends on 7th November – but there’s still time to join in. To get the document, call freephone 0800 073 0753, or visit www.kingstonpct.nhs.uk

Regrettably, the NHS has only 2 options: close in-patients, or close in-patients and out-patients. I believe there should be a third option – keeping things as is – but it’s clear local NHS managers have been ordered to make financial savings, and a third option won’t do that.

So I think we have no choice but to back strongly the retention of out-patients. This has 4 key advantages.

First, it keeps Surbiton Hospital open - the most powerful signal the NHS could send of its long term commitment to Surbiton.

Second, we continue to get the best local benefit from the out-patient services there – such as physiotherapy, X-ray and the newly-modernised minor operations theatre.

Third, keeping out-patients costs no more than moving them, and may be cheaper. I’ve questioned NHS managers on their figures: the case to keep out-patients is strong.

Fourth, we could even campaign for more out-patient services in the short term. We could relieve Kingston Hospital, for example by moving audiology to Surbiton.

If we win on out-patients, all our attention can focus long term, to win major investment for a Surbiton Hospital for the 21st century.