Hospital Building Sell-off Confirmed

A statement to Shepway District Council last night by East Kent NHS Facilities Director Howard Jones confirmed that the NHS Trust are continuing with their plan to sell the main building of the Royal Victoria Hospital, probably for residential development.

As previously, Mr Jones pledged that all existing local services would remain in Folkestone, and after huge pressure from local campaigners that the Derry Unit would move to new facilities within the remaining hospital buildings. There will be open days towards the end of June so that local people can visit the hospital and look at detailed plans for the new hospital layout - a key request of the Save Our Royal Victoria Campaign.

In answering a question from Cllr Tim Prater following his presentation, Howard Jones refused to confirm that the numbers of doctors and nurses would not fall as a result of the re-organisation. When asked if he could commit that the "head-count" of doctors and nurses working at the RVH would at least stay the same or rise, Mr Jones claimed that at this stage, he could give no commitment on "detailed" staffing numbers.

Shepway Lib Dem Group Leader Lynne Beaumont welcomed the commitment to retain the Derry Unit and all other services at the Royal Victoria Hospital, concerns remain about the detail. In commenting to the proposals after the council meeting, she said:

"Clearly we are really pleased that the Derry Unit will stay in Folkestone: there was real doubt on this point, and this commitment is very welcome. Equally the pledge to keep all existing services was renewed, and that will be welcomed, as will the opportunity to see detailed plans of the remodelled hospital towards the end of June.

"However, simple commonsense suggests that if more facilities are going into less space, something has to give. Either space for staff, with a potential impact on the number of staff working there, or patient space, or waiting space will have to be reduced.

"Already, it was confirmed that parking space will certainly be sold with the hospital building, which will make parking at the site even more difficult: same services - less parking.

"Until there is a pledge on staff numbers, and that there will be no loss of doctors or nurses from the hospital as a result of this sell-off, serious doubts will remain in local peoples mind."