Postbag
Hospital's closure is a rash decision
IT is hard to believe the Primary Care Trust has decided to close Fordingbridge Hospital to admissions pending the outcome of an inquiry into alleged poor quality of care by three members of staff.
Surely the correct action would have been to appoint a senior trained nurse as soon as possible, who could then oversee, train and
encourage the hospital's care workers.
And, of course, always have at least one trained nurse on duty.
In my experience of 25 years working as a staff nurse in Salisbury District Hospital and Fordingbridge Hospital, there will not always be perfect care. It is a very tough job and
supervision and support of staff is essential.
Almost every procedure is now carried out at the day surgery at Salisbury District Hospital and the frail and elderly need more time and care than this.
So bed blocking will once again become a problem and a very expensive
problem too.
The Fordingbridge
community, especially the Friends of Fordingbridge Hospital, will do all they can to retain and support our hospital, as we did two years ago.
HEATHER RICHARDS, Fordingbridge
1:00pm Thursday 20th December 2007
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CommentPosted by: Jenny Bickerton, Fovant on 7:20pm Sat 22 Dec 07
Further to Heather Richards letter on 20 December about Fordingbridge Hospital, it appears that the closure of the hospital for investigation is over the top and not a realistic way of solving any problems there may have been. May I suggest that it is in fact an excuse because once closed, the cost of recruitment and reinstating the service will mean it is unlikely to reopen. The Primary Care Trust has found an opportunity to close the hospital which they wanted to do a year ago and were thwarted by public support for the hospital.
My mother moved to Fordingbridge six months ago to live nearer us and, as the result of a fall, had the misfortune to require rehabilitation for a period of five weeks. We visited her daily and found the staff both helpful and supportive and I would like to add my name to the names of those that belive the facility would be a sad loss to the community.
Further to Heather Richards letter on 20 December about Fordingbridge Hospital, it appears that the closure of the hospital for investigation is over the top and not a realistic way of solving any problems there may have been. May I suggest that it is in fact an excuse because once closed, the cost of recruitment and reinstating the service will mean it is unlikely to reopen. The Primary Care Trust has found an opportunity to close the hospital which they wanted to do a year ago and were thwarted by public support for the hospital.
My mother moved to Fordingbridge six months ago to live nearer us and, as the result of a fall, had the misfortune to require rehabilitation for a period of five weeks. We visited her daily and found the staff both helpful and supportive and I would like to add my name to the names of those that belive the facility would be a sad loss to the community.
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