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Thursday, August 17 - Wednesday, August 23, 2017
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Fears grow for hospital as consultation delayed By Eva Astreinidou PEOPLE in Wantage are concerned about what will happen to their community hospital after the first stage of plans for the county’s health services were announced last week. Decisions were revealed by Oxfordshire Clinical Commissing Group on the initial round of proposals. According to a CCG spokesperson, public engagement on proposals for phase two – which includes the future of Wantage community hospital – will begin in October, with a view for the consultation to take place in late spring 2018. Wantage and Grove councillor Jenny Hannaby spoke at a meeting with the health overview and scrutiny committee on Monday last week out of concern for the future of the community hospital, but was unable to get a clear response. She said: “It’s madness that Wantage hospital was not on the agenda. I just want to secure the future of the hospital.” She said that due to the split consultation this could mean that the inpatient ward at Wantage community hospital, which was closed in June 2016, would be closed for two years. She added: “2018 is a long
way from 2016, when we were promised a consultation that October.” More than 3,900 people signed a petition to save the hospital after Oxford Health closed the 12 beds there last summer. The health trust said it took the action because there was a significant risk of a legionella outbreak in the hospital’s plumbing system. The bacteria can lead to pneumonia. The trust offered a compromise to keep the physiotherapy and maternity services open. In January, Wantage Town Council’s health committee reported that latest tests showed there was no legionella in the hospital plumbing. A representative from the trust said: “The trust has set aside funds to undertake work to replace the water system, however, these will not commence until the outcome of the Oxfordshire Sustainable Transformation Plan public consultation in the region is known. “We are continuing to provide the physiotherapy service from Wantage until the end of September when the service will move to a new provider, having been re-tendered by CCG earlier this year. The location of future provision is down to the new provider.”
Oliver rides to Euro glory
Oliver in action in Slovakia and collecting gold with the GB team
Friday September 8th
The Ultimate Entertainment Venue
Advance tickets: Advanced ticket-seated £12.00 Standing £10.00 Available from SHUSH www.shush.fm & the SHUSH app The Regent Mall, Newbury Street, Wantage, Oxfordshire OX12 8BU.
Tel. 01235 771122.
Schoolboy Oliver Fletcher was in winning form last week, bagging two medals in the European Championships for Young Riders. The 14-year-old from Faringdon won individual bronze in showjumping in the finals in Slovakia over the weekend. He also helped his team secure gold in the showjumping earlier in the week. For the group performance, he proved he could work well under pressure in a jump off with Belgium. Oliver was the team’s anchor with Disckoboy D.N., a nineyear-old grey gelding owned by Lady Kirkham and Lady Harris. It’s not his first taste of glory – Oliver also won an individual silver at the age of 12 in 2015.