Minutes:
It was oved by Councillor David O’Mahoney, seconded by Councillor Nirmal Kang, and
RESOLVED
(i) to note that
a) Frimley Park Hospital is administered by the Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust which provides hospital and health services for over 900,000 people across an area covering parts of Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire, and South Buckinghamshire;
b) Frimley Park is one of the largest employers within Surrey Heath;
c) Frimley Park was originally opened in 1974 and over the years has expanded its services, as well as becoming host of one of the Ministry of Defence’s Hospital Units;
d) Government funding has been identified to deliver a new state-of-the-art hospital;
e) Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust does not cover the entirety of Surrey Heath, and residents in the east of the borough may be covered by Ashford and St Peter’s NHS Foundation Trust;
(ii) that the Council believes that:
a) Frimley Park is an excellent hospital, and a new hospital will be a major benefit to the healthcare needs of the borough’s residents;
b) the new hospital should be located within Surrey Heath;
c) residents should not be required to travel long distances to receive medical care, and if the replacement hospital is located outside the borough it could add significant time to residents receiving care, attending appointments and visiting loved ones;
d) losing the hospital from the borough would result in the loss of a major employer of Surrey Heath residents;
(iii) to proactively encourage the replacement hospital to be located within Surrey Heath and to consider potential sites for relocation, which could be included within in a wider regeneration scheme;
(iv) to call on the Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust to actively seek sites within Surrey Heath.
(v) to ensure that any site for the new hospital will deliver the necessary infrastructure, including direct and sustainable public transport options to connect the new hospital with key transport hubs; and
(vi) that the Leader of the Council be asked to write to the MP for Surrey Heath, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust Board to request their support for the replacement hospital to be located within the borough of Surrey Heath.
Note: In accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct Councillor Victoria Wheeler declared a pecuniary interest as her business provided services at Frimley Park Hospital. Councillor Wheeler left the Council Chamber during the consideration of the item.