Thanks to all who support town hospital

4:30am Friday 29th August 2008

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THE half a million pound generosity of Ledbury people will leave a special and permanent mark on the town’s Community Hospital.

The raising of nearly £500,000 in six years will be commemorated by two new plaques in the entrance hall.

One plaque will honour the £400,000 provided by the Friends of Ledbury Hospital since 2002, when the new hospital opened, in Market Street.

The other will mark the £30,346 raised by the Town Appeal to get the hospital off to a flying start.

Latest fund-raising has been for an X-ray and ultrasound unit.

The Friends will provide a further £60,000 towards this facility, which is set to come on line this autumn.

Brian Hudson, chairman of the Ledbury Community Health and Care Centre Advisory Board, said: “Hopefully this will mean that far fewer patient journeys will be needed to Hereford Hospital.

“It’s something that has long been needed. Sincere thanks are expressed to the Friends for funding this, and to the PCT for its committment to meet operating costs.”

Mr Hudson said the Friends’ generosity: “The board actively supports the provision of a plaque, to be installed in the centre’s entrance hall.

“A plaque will also be provided to record the Town Appeal which raised £30,346, to get the hospital off to a flying start.”

The Town Appeal was launched in 2000, before the hospital opened, when Spencer Lane was mayor.

Don Rule, a former Herefordshire councillor and a Friend of Ledbury Hospital said he was very pleased to hear about the two plaques.

He pointed out that wooden boards giving details of donations had been a feature of the old cottage hospital, in the Homend.

Since 2002, money from the Friends and the community has help to pay for a wide range of equipment, from beds to hoists, walking frames and even training for staff.

The hospital is owned by Shaw Healthcare and run on behalf of the NHS Primary Care Trust.

Shaw spokesman, Stephen Crisp said: “It is extremely important that the community continues to support us.”

Future new projects are still to be announced, but attention is now turning to a disused cafe area on the first floor and how it can be best brought into use.

Board member Megan Bennett MBE said: “Donations to the Friends are due to the care that people have received at the hospital. People would not give money, if they had received poor care.”