On Tuesday 13 December, at a full Council meeting of Oxfordshire County Council, Banbury Conservative Councillors demanded that no further services be centralised to Oxford from any hospital across the County, including the Horton General Hospital, and also highlighted the unsatisfactory parking situation at the John Radcliffe.
Proposed by Deddington Councillor Arash Fatemian and Seconded by Bloxham and Easington Councillor Kieron Mallon, the motion emphasised the existing pressures on the JR and the adverse effects the situation is having on patients while praising our brilliant Horton General Hospital.
It came after a BBC Radio Oxford investigation highlighted the inadequacies of just 730 spaces at the County’s principal hospital with patients reporting waits of up to an hour to find a parking space and consequently missing appointments.
After presenting the motion, which was passed unanimously, Cllr Fatemian said: “I am delighted to get the full support of Council on this important motion. Car parking provision at the JR is appalling. And we can be in no doubt that the problem is being exacerbated by the Trust’s obvious agenda to centralise hospital services in the County to the JR.”
Pointing to the recent temporary downgrade of the Horton General Hospital’s maternity unit, which will see up to 1,000 extra births take place at the John Radcliffe every year due to mothers travelling down from Banbury, Cllr Fatemian continued:
“If the situation is bad now, there is potential for it to significantly worsen. There are population pressures in and around Oxfordshire and in North Oxfordshire in particular, we are seeing plenty of housing developments. All these residents will need hospital services at some point. Centralising care to Oxford is not in the best interests of Banbury’s residents. Acute services should stay at the Horton.”
Oxfordshire University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is considering measures to improve capacity at the John Radcliffe, but these are longer term solutions. Since the decision to downgrade maternity services at the Horton in the summer, Banbury Councillors, Victoria Prentis MP, and residents have continually raised concerns about the JR’s ability to cope with additional patients.
Bloxham and Easington County Councillor and Leader of Banbury Town Council, Kieron Mallon said: “We are disappointed that the Trust repeatedly ignore legitimate concerns raised by Banbury residents. Safety of all patients especially mothers and babies must be the priority. We have an excellent General Hospital right here on our doorstep – North Oxfordshire residents should be able to use it.
We want the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group, HOSC and the Trust all to consider the whole-time journey from North Oxfordshire to the JR. Journeys of over an hour, plus parking time are not acceptable or safe.
I have taken this motion to Cherwell District Council where it was passed unanimously. I will now take the same motion to Banbury Town Council where I expect full support. It is clear we have united front from all three Council tiers and all political parties on this issue, putting political differences aside for this vital cause.”
At the meeting, Cllrs Fatemian and Mallon wore their ‘Keep the Horton General’ t-shirts to show support for the Hospital and further draw attention to the Horton campaign.
