§ Lord Walton of Detchantasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they support the proposal of the Oxfordshire Health Authority to close the Burford Community Hospital, which serves both in-patients and out-patients in West Oxfordshire and where a major capital building programme to provide a day unit, costing £210,000, was completed and opened in April 1997. [HL669]
§ Baroness Jay of PaddingtonOxfordshire Health Authority and Oxfordshire Community Health National Health Service Trust are currently reviewing community hospitals with the aim of providing a fairer distribution of resources across the county while achieving essential savings of £1.5 million over four years.
The proposals will be considered at a joint board meeting on 25 February and the suggested options will then be subject to a three-month period of public consultation, when everyone will be able to make their views known.