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Keynsham residents give massive thumbs-up to new Health Centre despite nostalgic loss of old Hospital based in the town's former Work House buildings

As Keynsham’s new NHS Health Centre prepares for its official ribbon-cutting opening this week (November 2009), a new survey of town residents shows local people overwhelmingly think it was right to replace the ageing Keynsham Hospital with the new state-of-the-art facility for local people.

The town’s MP Dan Norris and a team of volunteers carried out the survey at the weekend, quizzing residents about their own experiences of the £6 million Health Centre, and asking them to reflect on the loss of the old Hospital building compared with the gain of the new Centre, based in St Clement’s Road.

Nine out of ten residents believed the new Centre has given the town’s healthcare needs a major lift, leaving Keynsham with more modern, fit-for-purpose health services.

“Initial proposals to close Keynsham Hospital were fiercely contested. That’s because Keynsham people rightly place huge value on our precious NHS,” said Dan Norris.

“Change is always difficult. But when Keynsham people are asked whether they would willingly lose heir new state-of-the-art NHS Centre to go back to the old Hospital based in the town's former Work House buildings, there is a resounding ‘no’.

“Most of the Keynsham people I’ve been talking with who have already used this terrific new NHS Centre have been impressed. Not just by the new building, but importantly by its facilities and the services it offers that will so benefit the health of Keynsham people.

“Having lobbied hard for the £5 million Government funding which made this new Health Centre possible it is good to see such a positive response. The feedback shows that whilst many people were understandably sad to lose such a well known local Keynsham landmark, its replacement is much welcomed because it will greatly improve the health of the town - particularly the young and old.

“The Hospital, while much-loved, did not benefit the local community as much as the new Health Centre now does. Keynsham people felt it was used by too many patients from outside the town, whose families often found it hard to travel many miles to visit. nd the nature of the old building – beautiful as it was in its way – meant its energy bills were extremely high with its old windows and very high ceilings. It cost so much to keep such an old building from a past era warm, that it was hugely wasteful. Now taxpayers’ money can go on vital healthcare that meets Keynsham people’s needs in the 21st Century.

“Labour’s investment in the local NHS has been vital and will continue. Meanwhile Tories, committed to cuts and who strangle NHS funding whenever they have their hands on power, call our wonderful NHS a ‘60 Year Mistake’.”

The new Health Centre, which began operating in July 2009 (though is due to be officially opened this Thursday, 12 November), brings together many new and existing services under one roof for the first time. For example, Temple House GP Practice and Keynsham Clinic, including the community dental service, are located in the Centre, along with other services including physiotherapy, health visitors, midwifery, podiatry, and speech and language therapy.

Daniel Hannam, Conservative MEP, was widely condemned for the following comments: “I wouldn’t wish the NHS on anyone….. The NHS has been a 60 year mistake,” following which in August 2009 he was rewarded by Party Leader David Cameron with a position on the Tory frontbench in Europe, the first time he had held an official party position.

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