Momentum gathers pace for increase in Fareham hospital services

That is how the borough’s politicians, GPs and local healthcare group feel about the hospital in Sarisbury.

Fareham MP Suella Braverman set up a task force in 2016 which meet to discuss the future of the hospital and have campaigned for further utilisation.

She said: ‘Last year we launched the same day access service which has been a great success and thousands of people have used it.

‘But there is still lots of potential.’

Dr Tom Bertram, who is part of the task force and a GP at Jubilee Surgery in Titchfield, said: ‘When I first joined the task force I had never been to the community hospital and neither had some of my colleagues.

‘It is an amazing asset and we need to use it more as the same day access service has been really successful.’

Leader of Fareham Borough Council, Councillor Sean Woodward, added: ‘It has been my cry since it opened five years ago for more services at the hospital.

‘It is under utilised and we need provisions for elderly care, a minor injuries unit and a maternity ward.’

Fareham and Gosport CCG are also backing the push for more services.

Andy Wood, chief finance officer, said: ‘I think everyone in the area – whether they work for the NHS or not – would want to see more services based at Fareham Community Hospital, and that is a long-standing ambition of the local NHS.’

Mrs Braverman has also launched a public consultation to collect views from residents about Fareham Community Hospital.

She said: ‘We want to give the people of Fareham a voice and hear what they consider as priorities.

‘This will help to inform the decision makers and service providers and then we can go from there.’

A report will be drawn up from the answers given by the public.

Mrs Braverman said: ‘This will give us a plan and a vision for the future of Fareham Community Hospital which we can get started with.’

Andy added: ‘Clearly, decisions about how services are organised are complicated – we have to balance issues such as staffing, funding, local demand, and clinical best practice – but it is essential to ensure that the voice of local people is also a part of that decision-making.

To answer the survey visit suellabraverman.co.uk/campaigns/fareham-community-hospital-taskforce

The closing date is Friday July 27.