Health minister 'exasperated' over Frenchay hospital delay

A health minister has said she is "exasperated" over delays to the re-opening of a community hospital in South Gloucestershire.

Public Health minister Jane Ellison said she was concerned that Frenchay community hospital may now not re-open until 2019.

Conservative MP for Filton and Bradley Stoke, Jack Lopresti, said constituents were "bitter" about the ongoing delays.

The hospital closed last year when the new £430m Southmead hospital opened.

Mr Lopresti, who called the debate about the future of health provision in South Gloucestershire, said when Frenchay Hospital was closed, local people were told it would re-open next summer, but now the date seemed to have been pushed back.

'Further delay'

"Is it any wonder that a large number of my constituents feel bitter and many are extremely sceptical of the fact that there will ever be a community hospital at Frenchay?" said Mr Lopresti.

"I would like an explanation from the minister as to why there is a further delay. I would like the minister to address the issue of the timings to help me explain to my constituents why this still continues to happen."

In response the minister said she was "concerned to hear talk of 2018 and indeed 2019" for when it could re-open.

She said she felt "some of the exasperation with regard to the timings" that were expressed by Mr Lopresti and other MPs.

"At first glance that does seem quite hard to get one's head around, so I'm going to follow up this debate by asking for more detail about that and report back," she said.

South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning group originally said it would provide new community beds on the Frenchay site after the old hospital closed, but bosses have since said they have moved away from the concept of a community hospital.