Marlborough loses hospital High Court action (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)
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Marlborough loses hospital High Court action
10:51am Wednesday 22nd July 2009 in Marlborough By Nigel Kerton
Val Compton
Val Compton has lost her two year fight to get the day hospital and minor injuries unit restored at Savernake Hospital at Marlborough.
The decision of Judge Ross Cranston who conducted the four day judicial review hearing at the beginning of the month was handed down in writing to the lawyers acting for Mrs Compton and Wiltshire NHS whose decisions she had challenged.
The judgement covered 60 pages but the bottom line was that Mrs Compton who now faces a £10,000 legal bill, lost on all counts. Her legal bill could have run into hundreds of thousands of pounds and she could have risked losing her home if the High Court had not previously capped her costs at a maximum of £20,000 which the people of Marlborough have pledged to meet.
This morning mother of two Mrs Compton, 62, who worked as a physiotherapy assistant at the hospital until retiring two years ago said: "I am gutted," and she was visibly upset at the decision.
"I have worked for two years to try to get the health service back for the people of Marlborough and in East Wiltshire and West Berkshire," she said.
"It's not losing the case so much as not being able to get those services back at Savernake Hospital for local people to use."
Mrs Compton, a widow, said she did not regret for a moment starting the legal action that had taken up two years of her life.
At this morning's health trust meeting Jeff James announced the High Court decision just after 11.30am and revealed the trust's own legal bill is around £300,000. He also said Mrs Compton's costs would be £10,000. One of Mrs Compton's staunch supporters, 88 year old Buster Cox who lives in Salisbury Road, said: "I am so totally shocked at the result that I have a job to talk about it. It's so ridiculous.
"That hospital means everything to the people of Marlborough and I really thought we were going to come out of this OK. I had every confidence in Val winning her case."
Comments(8)
crumpled hat
says...
11:16am Wed 22 Jul 09
travelingman
says...
1:11pm Wed 22 Jul 09
MarlboroughBNP
says...
4:09pm Wed 22 Jul 09
It matters not if services were outdated (as it happens they weren't - they'd just spent 10m doing the place up)
The PCT only had the money to do this though, as they were granted permission (by the trustees of the hospital grounds) to sell half the land to a developer, on the condition that they woudl not close any of the hospital down.
The PCT agreed to this, sold the land, took the money and then reneged on their agreement.
They are nothing but a self-serving bunch of corrupt liars, with no medical knowledge, and pretty poor admin skills.
The NHS (and by default the PCTs) should be run by doctors and other QUALIFIED healthcare professionals, who then tell the administrators what to do - not the other way around.
Mad Woman
says...
6:37pm Wed 22 Jul 09
travelingman
says...
7:32pm Wed 22 Jul 09
Why did they not research the fact that the Government require all Trusts to provide more care at home rather than in Hospital.
Did Val Compton not realise that the only money the PCT has is for patient services
Whilst we all champion her now lets hope this does not come back to bite her/Marlborough when the Trust looks to recover its £300,000
BNP Man , I am not wrong, my politics are different to yours but if you check my comments you will find they are factual.
MarlboroughBNP
says...
12:31pm Thu 23 Jul 09
The important thing about Savernake, was the agreement between the PCT and the Trustees of the land. The PCT does not own the land the hospital stands on (it was given to the town by the Marquees of Ailesbury on condition that it was for a Hospital)
The PCT were then allowed to take ownership of approx 50% of the land to the rear, and sell it to a developer, on condition that they would never close the hospital or ANY of the units.
But as soon as they'd sold the land and banked the cash, they reneged on their agreement.
My politics don't come into this. They made an agreement and broke it. That's why I call them corrupt liars.
Do you think they have acted fairly?? If so I suspect you're in need of the services previously supplied by the Day Care centre!
Val Compton
says...
4:02pm Fri 24 Jul 09
1 The Judge was a former Labour MP
2 The NHS Institute of Innovation & Improvement website will show you that Day Hospitals are not outdated.
3 MIUs and A&Es deal with different problems.
4 I have not achieved a big bill for the PCT - they did that for themselves. I would have have preferred to talk.
5 I have not spent two years working with my heart - but my head. My heart however, does allow me to have feelings, especially for patients.
6 The hospital and land was taken over by the NHS in 1948.
7 The history and feasibility of the MIU was indeed studied in great depth.
8 I have read the Department of Health documents on provision of healthcare - and on consultations and much more.
Lastly, if "travelingman" would like to come out of hiding from behind his nickname I would be happy to have a conversation with him.
MarlboroughBNP says...
11:05am Wed 22 Jul 09