A county councillor has welcomed discussions over Wantage Community Hospital’s service provision amid concerns over the rising population in the area. 

Cllr Jane Hanna OBE stressed the importance of having good hospital and primary care services as the population of the OX12 area is set rise by 55 per cent between 2011 and 2031. 

The NHS has now agreed to run a meeting, co-produced with the Wantage Town Council Health Committee, to consider potential improvements to the hospital’s services. 

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The date of the meeting has not yet been set, but it will take place amid ongoing scrutiny of the hospital by the health committee, of which Cllr Hanna is chair.  

Cllr Hanna is confident that there has been some recent improvement in provision. In January, the hospital reopened its maternity beds following their initial closure in August 2021 due to staffing constraints.  

This is despite concerns which were raised at a health sub-committee of Wantage Town Council last month, that physiotherapy services were not being provided due to a lack of staff, and that patients were having to travel to other towns, 

It was agreed at that meeting that local health services were “inadequate” and that a letter of complaint would be sent to Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West integrated health system.  

Cllr Hanna said she had met with physio staff at the hospital staff this month after being reassured that physiotherapy had returned to the hospital.  

However, she was sure that issues such as physiotherapy services raised by the Wantage Committee would be discussed at the planned meeting with the NHS as part of what was needed to ensure the hospital had the best possible services. 

She said: "The HOSC Committee had been reassured that physiotherapy had returned to Wantage Hospital.  

“I was concerned to hear that anyone was travelling elsewhere and have taken this up with the NHS to clarify which physio specialisms are being delivered locally as I have met with physio staff this month who run clinics for different patients at the hospital.   

“Physio opening up was part of the recovery of the hospital which has seen pilot services of Ear, Nose and Throat services (ENT), audiology, ophthalmology and mental health introduced in 2021.  

“We requested the NHS to complete a substantial change tool kit for all temporarily closed services across Oxfordshire last November and following this the maternity beds were reopened in January which has been wonderful and we have a cross party group that has been meeting to get information from the NHS ahead of our April meeting where the new national care model and plans for the hospital will be scrutinised.   

“As a county councillor for this area I am hugely concerned that with a 55 percent population increase in OX12  between 2011 and 2031 and that we need access to good hospital and primary care services and look forward to taking part in the workshop that has been proposed for our area to the Wantage Health Committee by Oxford Health and which will involve the local place director from the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West integrated health system, BOB.”