A voice for the people of Haltwhistle
What do you make of this
Read the bit about Rothbury that’s more or less what we were promised an all singing all dancing Hospital 10 years ago and the cost was 7 million pounds or so they said.
Rothbury Community Hospital
Rothbury is situated in the rural heart of Northumberland and is accessible by road B6344 via the A697. The new Rothbury Community hospital is located in the south side of the village and was opened in October 2006.
The state of the art ward consists of twelve individual bedrooms, with television / telephone facilities, full en-suite amenities and full disabled access.
The hospital specialises in a wide range of care, covering such specialties as Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Palliative Care, Outpatients, 24 hour Minor injuries unit, and a Day Hospital.
Staff from Northumbria Healthcare Foundation Trust share the building with health and social care colleagues from Northumberland Care Trust and North East Ambulance Service.
Local GPs will also provide some services from the building, bringing together integrated services for the first time in Coquetdale.
The above passage was taken from this web site http://www.northumbria.nhs.uk/ feel free to look for yourself
New Haltwhistle hospital plans to be lodged
Last updated at 16:56, Friday, 20/2/2009
Health chiefs are preparing to have another go at providing Haltwhistle with a new multi-million pound hospital.
In a 10-year saga that has taken many twists and turns, Northumbria Healthcare Trust is putting the finishing touches to another planning application.
A previous application to replace Haltwhistle War Memorial Hospital was rejected by planners in March 2007 because of the building design and proposals to fell mature trees.
Residents had also objected to the proposed demolition of the 19th-century stone villa at the heart of the hospital.
But now the building has to be pulled down before it falls down, said the trust’s chief executive Jim Mackie.
“We’re keeping the building together with Elastoplasts and string – it is riddled with problems. Boilers, drains, the electrics – you name it, there is a problem.”
Subject to the financial details being agreed by its board of governors, the trust aims to lodge the new planning application in April or May.
The design caters for up to 25 beds, largely in single rooms with en-suite facilities, and a communal day room.
There would also be an outpatients’ minor injuries department, and a unit providing services such as occupational therapy and physiotherapy. Four or five of the beds would be devoted to providing residential nursing care.
At present, elderly people requiring long-term nursing care have to be moved out of the town to Hexham or beyond.
Director of emergency care Steve Russell said time was of the essence in terms of providing a new hospital.
Rooms had been “freezing” at times this winter as staff struggled to block draughts blowing through ill-fitting windows. He said: “The place is dropping to bits. It is just not possible to make that building fit for 21st century care. The standard of accommodation there is becoming increasingly unacceptable.”
First published at 05:17, Friday, 20 February 2009
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk
Haltwhistle hospital plan put on hold
Last updated at 15:09, Friday, 14 May 2010
The construction of a new community hospital has been postponed.
Haltwhistle town councillors say they were told during a meeting with Northumberland County Council’s adult services that the project had been put on hold.
The community hospital was included in a £200 million package of measures drawn up last year by Northumbria Healthcare Trust.
According to the timetable drawn up by the trust, building work on the Haltwhistle hospital was due to start in 2011.
But now it appears the priority of the Haltwhistle scheme has been downgraded, behind plans for a community hospital in Berwick.
This has angered town councillors who have been campaigning for a replacement for the memorial hospital for many years.
Councillor John Watson said he was fed up with the people of Haltwhistle being “fobbed off”.
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said it could not say when building work would take place but added that the Haltwhistle hospital was still firmly in its plans.
First published at 14:15, Friday, 14 May 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk
July 26th 2010
The latest on the Hospital bringing together integrated services is fine for Rothbury but not for Haltwhistle why? who’s hidden agenda is getting in the way maybe we should ask the Prime Minister to have an enquiry.
The state of play is don't hold your breath, at the Town Council meeting on July 26th 2010 we were informed they had had a change of heart we are not going to get our all singing all dancing Hospital we are getting a cheapy £1.7 million its only going to have 15 beds instead of 25 and no nursing beds, our Library cost £2.2 million so what kind of Hospital are we really going to get. Might I suggest that after the plans are drawn, the site is cleared and their have there endless meeting and a couple conferences in foreign parts might I suggest Northern Italy for the bracing air will help the concentration, best part of that money will be spent and possibly there will only be enough left to build a wooden hut behind the War Memorial only big enough for two beds.
This is the very latest just found it tonight 11th August we have been conned again
2010-11 (October)
Go live with single View
Mitigation
The project is lead by a project Board which meets regularly and has both Clinical and Technical involvement in order to ensure the project is delivered on both time and in line with the key benefit objectives.
Haltwhistle War Memorial
2010-11 £0.0m
2011-12 £1.5m
2012-13 £0.0m
2010-11
Design and Planning
2011-12
Construction and Redevelopment
2012-13
Commissioning and operational go-live Replaces Current Facilities Key Actions/Risks
Re-development of the existing Haltwhistle site. Potential Risk is one of cost over-run.
Mitigation
Project Boards are tasked with bringing each scheme in line with budget and this is their prime responsibility. The capital programme is staggered in such a way that no one project can have a material impact on the overall programme or the Trust financial position as a whole.
If you would like to see whole Document click here its page 43 or in the find box put in haltwhistle and it will give you all references to Haltwhistle
Councillor John T Watson
PS. I think it’s time for a change