LOCAL residents turned out in force at a public meeting hosted by the Primary Care Trust on June 30 in Bude, to discuss the plans to develop and refurbish Stratton Hospital.

The public were encouraged to express their opinions and many gave written comments which will be analysed and fed back to the League of Friends.

There was widespread support for the development, but concerns about its limitations and the delays in NHS provision for that part of North Cornwall were also expressed. About 150 people attended between 10am and 4pm and there was a question and answer session in the morning and the afternoon.

The panel comprised Antek Lejk, director of NHS commissioning; Kevin Baber, director of community services; his deputy Susan Bulley and Ken Jones who represented C1C, the company directing the building work.

They explained that the general election had caused a three month delay in starting work on the hospital, but that this project was now their top priority in Cornwall.

A planning application will be submitted when this year's capital funding allocation is made by the Department of Health; this is expected to take about three months, so work should start in October.

The work will be in two phases; the first will involve relocating the minor injuries unit nearer the existing entrance of the hospital and the x-ray department, so that patients can use these facilities more easily and safely, rather than having to go through the in-patient area.

The physiotherapy department will be improved by the addition of a mezzanine level for storage space.

The second phase, due to start six months later is expected to take one year and will involve complete rebuilding and modernisation of the in-patient facilities to improve the running of the hospital so that the 21st century standards of safety, privacy and dignity will be met.

Questions were asked about disruption of services during building work on the hospital. Sue Bulley explained that out-patient services would be delivered with some adjustments in the first phase and that in-patients would only have to be treated elsewhere in the second building phase. There will be a need to develop more nursing and other services in the community.

Antek Lejk hoped that the PCT would get the full allocation of funding from the Department of Health, but sounded a note of caution. He thanked the League of Friends of Stratton hospital and the public for their support and patience.

Dr David Giles, President of the League of Friends of Stratton Hospital, thanked the panel for their efforts, saying that the public were happier as they had been given a clear explanation of how and when their hospital would be improved to serve the community.

He felt that the public will strongly support the league's campaign to raise £1 million to refurbish and equip the hospital when the building work has been completed.