Group opposes hospital services' move to new hub

Campaigners are trying to save a Hampshire community hospital from closure.

The Chase Community Hospital on Conde Way in Bordon was built in the 1990s, but there are plans to close it and move its services to a new health hub in the town centre.

NHS bosses said the hub would focus on primary and community care and include a new GP surgery and pharmacy.

All services currently provided at the hospital would move to the Bordon Health Hub, next to The Shed, near Sergeants Yard.

Two of five floors for the proposed site would be dedicated to healthcare, with the other three floors used for apartments.

Campaigners who want to save the hospital from closing fear that site could be sold off for housing.

Eric Birkett, from the You Know the Chase Hospital Makes Sense group, said: "Why get rid of a hospital that's only 33 years old, when the government wants new community hospitals? There's one there already.

"The people around here have not got any other health facility apart from the surgeries.

"If they have to go to a hospital then the main hospital is the Royal Surrey, which is a 40-mile round trip.

"The people of Bordon and Whitehill are getting an influx of 3,000-plus houses. The population increase in the area means the Chase Hospital needs to stay."

A spokesperson for NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight said it understood how important the hospital was to residents.

"[The hospital] is currently not fully utilised due to changes in how health services are delivered and services being better delivered by nearby GP practices," they said.

"The NHS has previously spent time attempting to ensure the community hospital could be more fully utilised but the demand for services over the past 10 years has continued to decline.

"The Whitehill and Bordon health hub, which will be located in the new town centre will provide fit for purpose flexible accommodation, bringing together community services with primary care services.

"All of the current services delivered from the Chase Community Hospital will transfer over to, and be provided from, the new health hub."

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