The Malvern Civic Society (UK)

A NEW COMMUNITY HOSPITAL FOR MALVERN?

(A statement on the current situation issued by the Malvern Civic Society.)

It is generally agreed by most informed commentators that Malvern's existing but aged Community Hospital at Lansdowne Crescent is nearing the end of its useful and distinguished life as a viable economic unit. Meanwhile, the South Worcestershire PCT has submitted plans for the construction of a new 24 - 30 bedded Community Hospital for Malvern in its Outline Business Plan to the Strategic Health Authority. We understand that three possible sites are being considered but that the preferred choice is Seaford Court off the Worcester Road. Seaford Court has the advantage of being in the local plan for the hospital and in June received approval by the planning inspector.

We have not seen the outline business plan submitted by the PCT but speculation suggests that it would include x-ray, physio and possibly a minor injuries unit although it is clear from the public meeting held in March that the PCT prefers to leave local doctors to deal with the latter because a minor injuries unit would substantially increase running costs. We have been told that this plan has received approval from the Strategic Health Authority. However, there remains public concern that the existing hospital might be torn down before the new hospital is built. In the hospital site statement it is envisaged that when a new hospital is built the present hospital will make way for additional residential accommodation in Lansdowne Crescent. The worry that this might occur before the new hospital is built has persisted despite repeated denials. In a reply received by Sir Michael Spicer MP from Mr. Paul Bates, Chief Executive of the PCT and sent in response to a letter from the Society we noted the following; I will repeat here my public assurance that the only reason for closure of the current Malvern Hospital in advance of the opening of its replacement would be on the grounds of safety of the patients and staff. A closure in such circumstances would cause a major upset particularly as Worcester's Royal Hospital is barely coping with demand and parking there is a nightmare.

In response to this situation Malvern Civic Society mindful that neighbouring Wychavon Council was building Community Hospitals at Pershore and Evesham and leasing these to the SWPCT, and concerned at the lack of progress in Malvern, we requested a joint meeting with Malvern Hills District Council and the South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust. At first this was declined but after the Society wrote a strongly critical letter to the Malvern Gazette comparing the actions of Wychavon with those of MHDC we were offered a meeting. The letter offering us a meeting came from Malvern's Strategic Director - Council Governance, Mr. Kevin Douglas.

In the letter he responded to our comparison between Wychavon and Malvern. He wrote, ...'that is a very unfair comparison though an understandable one, given that people will have forgotten what happened to Malvern Hills District Council in the mid to late 1990s or be a newcomer to the District. Our respective positions are comparable up to a point. We both transferred our housing stocks in 1994-95 and received substantial capital receipts which enabled both councils to become debt free. There the comparison ends because Malvern Hills District Council then became subject to local government re-organisation which resulted in a very new Council in April 1998.

Wychavon District Council was unaffected by local government re-organisation in Worcestershire. This changed the way the two councils approached the use of their capital receipts from the housing stock transfers. Wychavon took the view that it should invest the bulk of its receipts and use the investment interest to support its revenue services and keep down its council tax. The old Malvern Hills District Council took a non-political decision that it had to invest its receipts in capital schemes which would be delivered or at least committed by April 1998, so that the residents of the old District would benefit, not the larger proportion of residents of the new Herefordshire Council which was formed in April 1998. The assets of the former Malvern Hills District Council were split 70/30 between the new Malvern Hills District Council and the new Herefordshire Council.

Had we done what Wychavon did, then 30 per cent of those capital receipts would have been used to clear the debts of the former Hereford City and South Herefordshire District Councils, rather than benefit the residents of Ledbury, Bromyard, Colwall, Cradley and more who were formerly residents of the old Malvern Hills District Council's area'.

Mr. Douglas went on to list the many benefits to Malvern of the spending bonanza that included a £1m grant to Malvern Science Park and also to Malvern Theatres, various sports facilities, village hall refurbishments, environmental improvements, and etc. We thanked him for his letter and we had our meeting despite the refusal of Councillor Clive Smith to attend.

At the meeting we stated that in our view the Malvern Hills District Council ought to have a contingency plan available and ready to be put forward in the event that the South Worcestershire PCT failed to find a development partner for the building of the new hospital. We also felt that there should be more transparency concerning progress or otherwise in order to keep the public well informed on the issues. We decided to put these points in writing to the Leader of the Council.

In her reply the Leader of the District Council included the following concerning a contingency plan: "... This I think will be difficult because if this happens it will mean that it is ongoing revenue costs of the hospital which do not fit within the PCTs financial envelope; not the capital costs of the project." Councillor Di Raynor continued, "...even if we offered the capital to build the new hospital, the PCT would need to have the revenue to run it and we certainly couldn't help with that!"

We remain concerned about the situation. There is no certainty that the Primary Care Trust will be able to find a partner. One thing is certain and that is that the property portfolio of the NHS estate in South Worcestershire is in the frame. Paul Bates in his letter responding to us, writes, ...'We are committed to securing both the maximum value for our current landholdings and to creating the greatest possible flexibility for potential development partners.' One wonders what this means in practice?

The SWPCT we are told has a funding cutback of £13m in the new financial year. Presumably this will be carried forward into the new Worcestershire Primary Care Trust that the government has announced will be formed in October. This will happen at about the time when the existing PCT is due to report on whether or not it has been able to find a business partner. Inevitably the absorption of the existing trust into the larger trust for the whole of Worcestershire will lead to further delays. Business partnerships are only approved if the PCT can provide evidence of balanced financial plans over a three-year period looking forward.

The Society continues to monitor the position and has put out this statement in the hope that it will serve to aid understanding of the difficult situation faced by the people of Malvern in respect of a new hospital. We still hope that communication from the Primary Care Trust, the District Council and other interested parties will improve and make further statements from ourselves unnecessary.

MALVERN CIVIC SOCIETY
5 August 2006