A consultation survey has been launched by Oxfordshire County Council aimed at determining how Wantage Community Hospital can best serve the needs of the local community. The findings of this survey were recently discussed during a Joint Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting.
The consultation report was the result of an independent engagement process, carried out between October 11 and November 6. A key revelation from the survey was the strong community support for retaining the clinic-based services currently offered by the hospital. Respondents overwhelmingly opposed the idea of discontinuing these services.
Councillor Jane Hanna OBE, representing the Grove & Wantage division, has played a pivotal role in advocating for better healthcare services for the town. One respondent highlighted the essential role the hospital plays in the community, sharing how challenging it was to care for an elderly relative when John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford was the nearest alternative — a trip of roughly 90 minutes by bus. They expressed deep appreciation for the “godsend” of having local facilities nearby.
Another respondent, who cares for a visually impaired family member, similarly noted the challenges of traveling to Oxford. The long journey was further complicated by insufficient Blue Badge parking at the larger hospital, creating added stress for both the patient and the caretaker.
The GP clinic currently operating at the hospital was met with mixed views. While the clinic is appreciated by some, others questioned whether it was necessary. Similarly, onsite mental health support services were a subject of debate. One respondent suggested such services might be more fittingly provided in non-hospital settings, like office spaces, allowing the hospital to dedicate its resources to a narrower range of specialties and “do a few things well.”
Councillor Jenny Hannaby, also of the Grove & Wantage ward, has contributed to ongoing discussions about expanding the hospital’s offerings. However, the topic of reopening inpatient beds yielded less consensus among respondents, with many suggesting that inpatient care could be made available on a regional level rather than locally.
One issue raised by the report’s commissioner was the frequent use of medical jargon, which led to confusion and misunderstandings among members of the public who participated in the consultation. This underscores the challenges of finding the right balance of healthcare provisions for Wantage, a market town with over 33,000 local GP-registered residents.
It’s worth noting that the hospital’s inpatient ward has been temporarily closed for eight years. However, a partnership project is currently underway to explore the “right mix of services” that could best meet the community’s needs. The majority of survey respondents were women aged 60 and over, reflecting a demographic with potentially more frequent healthcare needs.
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