Closure Of Community Hospitals

EDM number 752 in 2005-06, proposed by Andrew Lansley on 12/10/2005.

That this House recognises the excellent service provided by community hospitals in affording locally accessible healthcare; deplores the current programme of closures that conflicts with the Government's commitment to community hospitals given in its 2005 manifesto; notes the strength of public opinion in favour of community hospitals; recognises that the cost of treating a patient in a community hospital is often significantly less than the cost of similar treatment in a district general hospital; further notes the potential loss to the NHS of dedicated staff when a community hospital closes; further notes that bed blocking in large acute units is exacerbated by the absence of step-down care; and calls upon the Government to conduct a review of closures and to recognise the potential for community hospitals to carry forward its plans for locally delivered healthcare.

This motion has been signed by a total of 101 MPs.