Following the downgrade of maternity provision at the Horton General Hospital last summer, Victoria Prentis MP, Member of Parliament for Banbury, has launched a new travel times campaign to ascertain the true journey time from Banbury and the surrounding areas to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.
She is calling on all residents to take part and will present her findings to Oxfordshire University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group.
Since August 2016, Victoria, local councillors, the Keep the Horton General group, and local residents have all repeatedly raised concerns about travel times from Banbury to the John Radcliffe with the Trust. Victoria is keen to ensure that both the Trust and the CCG are aware of the genuine impact of travel times between Banbury and the JR. She wants door-to-department journey times, including the time it takes to park, to be included in statistics showing travel times to the JR.
A consultation on healthcare provision in Oxfordshire, including services at the Horton General Hospital, is expected to begin this month. Statistics on travel times are likely to be an important part of the consultation process.
Victoria is asking anyone travelling from Banbury, and its surrounding areas, to the JR, for an appointment or to visit a relative, to fill out a short form about their journey. These responses will then be submitted to the CCG.
In encouraging constituents to take part in the campaign, Victoria commented: “Following the downgrade of the Horton maternity unit, I remain extremely concerned about travel times to the John Radcliffe. The journey can be so unpredictable and parking times must be taken into account. These variables need to be considered ahead of the consultation on NHS services in Oxfordshire. It would be brilliant if as many people as possible get involved in the campaign to give us a more accurate indication of true journey times from Banbury.”
If you are travelling to the JR from the Banbury area, please download the below form, fill it in, and send it to [email protected] or by post to: Victoria Prentis MP, Heyford Park House, Upper Heyford, Bicester, OX25 5HD.
Also post pictures of your JR journeys, including your travel time, on social media using the hashtag #Banbury2JR