Local Councillors joined Banbury MP Victoria Prentis in meeting with the Secretary of State for Health today to make the case for fresh investment in the Horton General Hospital.
Founded in 1872 as a gift to the residents of Banbury, the Horton remains a vital and much-loved local facility providing excellent-quality healthcare provision across a range of services.
During their time with the Secretary of State, Victoria, County Councillors Eddie Reeves (Banbury Calthorpe Division) and Arash Fatemian (Deddington Division) and Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, Councillor Ian Hudspeth made a strong case both for the importance of obstetric-led maternity to the Horton and for fresh funding to support the regeneration of the Horton site.
Speaking afterwards Eddie and Arash said: “It was great to meet the Secretary of State today to discuss the development of a business case for a new and improved Horton Hospital. The news last month that the temporary downgrade of the Horton’s maternity unit was to be made permanent was a backwards step for our hospital and our community – we have not given up on the maternity fight but it is also crucial that local stakeholders; Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group and local Councils and Councillors look to develop a wider and more strategic vision for our hospital to secure its long-term future and ensure that its provision is fit for the needs of our growing community.”
Victoria added: “We must improve the Horton site and ensure it is fit for the future. I have met the Secretary of State on multiple occasions to stress just how important our local hospital is to residents across Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, and Warwickshire. I hope that we will receive this vital seed funding to enable us to develop a proper plan to ensure that Banbury’s ongoing health needs are met and make the Horton a first-class, Twenty-first Century district general hospital.”
