The Horton has always been a vital and much-loved local hospital and the coronavirus pandemic has confirmed just how valuable it is to our local community. Its staff, and the services they provide, are exceptional but the building is not up to the standards of 21st-century medicine. Banbury Conservatives have worked hard, alongside Victoria Prentis MP, local Councillors and Councils to lobby for fresh funding to support the regeneration of the Horton site.
We are encouraged that Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group have been increasingly vocal about their future ambitions for the Horton. Whilst it is regrettable that HGH was not included in the first tranche of redevelopments, we are determined that the vision for a revitalised Horton is not abandoned. Covid-19 has required all sectors to adapt and it is reasonable that future plans for Horton services, and the hospital estate, reflect the new normal in healthcare but with the announcement that 8 further hospitals will be included in a second phase of the HIP, we urge the Trust and the CCG to submit an ambitious and forward-thinking bid and stand ready to support their efforts however we can.
Banbury needs and its residents deserve, a fully functioning General Hospital to ensure our community’s ongoing health needs are met and that a better balance of services between Oxford and Banbury is achieved. We remain committed to championing our hospital and the people it serves.
