“Following careful review, consideration and discussion, the CCG and Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust (GCS) at their meetings on 25 January, 2018, unanimously approved the preferred option of a new community hospital in the Forest of Dean to replace Dilke Memorial Hospital and Lydney and District Hospital.
At this stage, no final decision to close Dilke Memorial Hospital or Lydney and District Hospital has been made.
We strongly believe that the preferred option offers a number of benefits to local patients – whether that’s improved clinical space to support services, overcoming the challenges of maintaining some essential services across two sites or providing a great care environment for patients and staff.
We recognise the importance of travel and access to community hospital services for all people in the Forest of Dean. It was agreed that travel and access issues should be reflected in any consideration of location.
We are committed to carrying out further public engagement on the location of a new hospital, including the use of a Citizens’ Jury of Forest of Dean residents to make a recommendation to the CCG Governing Body and GCS Board.
An independent body, Citizens Juries CIC was commissioned in March to design and run the Citizens’ Jury. This approach to making a recommendation on the location is consistent with feedback received through the public consultation.
We are also committed to further work, including on-going public engagement, on the full range of services that would be provided in a new hospital. This will inform the design of the building and the business case.
Moving forward, our shared ambition is to work in partnership with local people and staff to deliver a fantastic new, state of the art community hospital that can support high quality, modern healthcare and respect the rich heritage of the Forest of Dean.”