After nearly a decade of outcries from citizens regarding the decimation of healthcare services in one of the coastal towns located in Kent, planning permissions have finally been granted to allow a new community hospital to be built in the area. This latest step in the long-running campaign to fight for better healthcare services in the Dover area services as a constant reminder of the incredible victory that has been obtained by the residents in the area.
The individuals have fought for an extremely long time to improve healthcare services within the area, shortly after cutbacks began being made at the primary Buckland Hospital that still resides in the area today. In eighteen month’s time, the doors to the new facility that will be built in the area will open, along on Coombe Valley Road.
This new facility will provide new services that will be rendered from a modern facility. The new building will replace the existing building that has been utilized as a workhouse, prior to it becoming a hospital facility in 1948. While the city has made progress, in getting the planning permissions approved to have the new facility built, there are other issues that need to be addressed as well, states a campaigner, Dover MP Charlie Elphicke.
At the present time, campaigners are pushing to have step-down beds also included into the planning permissions plans. This is something that has been excluded from the plans, thus far. Step-down beds are special types of beds that will help patients that are recovering from receiving medical treatments, but still required additional managed care.
Mr. Elphicke is pleased that after a decade of fighting for a new hospital to be built in the area, that they are now being able to have it built. He admits that there have been tons of people that have written him, expressing their gratitude. However, Mr Elphicke admits that he is still continuing his campaigns to have the new care beds included in the plans as well, and that now his focus is on this item, being included in the plans.
Mr Elphicke has stated that the entire community feels like they have been let down by the government when it comes to obtaining fair healthcare services within their area. For years, people have been having to travel to Ashford or Margate in order to be given proper medical care. Most people will not believe that a new facility is going to be built in the area, until it actually happens.
The facilities that are offered at Buckland Hospital have been cut back significantly over the past couple of years, although, the facility does still provide some services. However, despite the small amount of services performed at Buckland Hospital, there are still a lot of people that are having to travel forty miles or more to go to other hospitals outside of the area.
The planning permissions that have been granted for the community hospital include, outpatient and clinical services, along with a minor injury walk-in care centre. Diagnostic facilities, day hospital services, as well as a renal dialysis area is going to be able to be accessed at the new facility.