Does anyone else live in a town where the hospital is too small for a growing population?

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The population is currently around 200k and expanding. The hospital is fast becoming a patchwork of extensions and near constant building site. We have only just got a changing place. My town has always needed a surrounding hospital. It would end 2 bus across town with 2 grizzly children when in need od urgent medical treatment or opthalmology. The roads are full of roadworks, an awful bus service and many friends cut off in villages with children and grandchildren. No medical drop in centre in town making it near impossible to get help for many,

You're lucky to have a hospital. Our nearest one is a good drive away.

I think we might be from the same place OP! Sounds very familiar. Though sadly I think there are several towns up and down the country in the same boat

I think everyone does! No NHS hospitals are fit for the needs of the entire community!

You are describing the whole of the UK

THE NHS IS F'D

In Ireland and everyone around here (midlands) says if you ever have an actual emergency you should just head to Dublin over an hour away. 1) you’ll probably get sent there anyway 2) they have no expertise in so many things. It’s scary

I am also wondering if you're speaking of where I live 🤔

last week i had to help my friend with cost of a taxi home that was £20 as she was waiting to get paid and i had work,. i stayed the night with her as partner who drives alone and its heart issues, she lives 5 miles away in a village and a further 5 from the hospital from me. it was quicker for me to take her over an ambulance.

I'm 30 minutes (assuming traffic is light) down the motorway from the nearest hospital. It's a large one but serves over half a million people as a local hospital plus the whole region as a trauma hospital/referrals. For anything other than critical needs it is better to drive 45 mins in the opposite direction to a district hospital in neighbouring area. We don't have enough hospitals (or beds within existing ones) for our growing and elderly population

An ambulance isn't a taxi

im'm in swindon

my friend didn't get an ambulance home if you read it again you will see it words taxi home. my friend called 111 and it was qucker for me to drive my friend to the hospital.

Yes we’re in a pretty rubbish position where I am in Worcestershire. The nearest hospital to us - for urgent care - is 35 mins away in the car. We had a scare with my son in the winter whereby I dialled 999 as he couldn’t breathe. They couldn’t find an ambulance to attend so I ended up shoving him in the car and speeding to the hospital. It was croupe which cleared up luckily but I dread to think had it of been something else.

It's not just population growth - it is ageing population with more conditions, lack of investment, BREXIT, staff shortages (leaving the NHS), lack of investment, underfunding in primary care pushing people onto hospitals.

Thanks so much to the government for deliberately creating these problems over the last 13 years.

As pp said it's the ageing population & lack of investment or planning for that. Plus collapse of social care, it won't get better.

Problem isn't growing population - a YOUNG growing population would resolve problems. The problem is the ageing population as they're the ones who 1. Need the hospital the most and 2. Don't contribute much to the economy if they don't work.

The NHS, doctors on strike, trying to bring down the government. Just employed hundreds more diversity consultants. That will solve their problems!

so true

No but I live in London, my in borough hospital is St Thomas, everyone wants to be treated there so yes it’s too small for the people that want to use it.

I think lots of hospitals are inadequate but if you choose to live in a village the chances are you are going to have to travel to get to a hospital. I can't think of a village with a hospital. In reality 10 miles isn't that far, we can't really have hospitals every couple of miles round the country.

As soon as I saw your title I guessed it would be Swindon! It's not even that old and it is smaller than the PMH it replaced. However, I think we have a pretty reasonable bus service to and from the hospital.

i wouldn't say older people don't contribute they actually create jobs feeding the economy if they need services ikea cleaner, online shop even social care or a nurse

I feel confident that most hospitals in the country are just random extensions. And that’s if the hospital even has the money for them.

Your complaint appears to be more about public transport than hospitals.

south marsdon has been cut off for a year or 2, blunsdon is a bus hour and a half daytime, if your north swindon its challenge,

The Great Western, Swindon is pretty new and has regular bus services. It's a vast improvement on the old Princess Margaret Hospital, and a lot better than some.

Your friend chooses to live in a village. That is her choice.

The new hospitals are never going to be built because there aren’t enough staff to staff the current ones! No point wasting money on empty buildings l