Local MP Alan Mak has secured a reversal from the South Eastern Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to halt the sale of the Emsworth Victoria Cottage Hospital (EVCH) site.
The MP had questioned the process that led the CCG to conclude that the EVCH site was surplus to medical requirements in a letter to Chief Executive Maggie MacIsaac. He argued that until the future of the Emsworth Medical Practice is confirmed no sale should go ahead.
Currently, doctors are in negotiations over a site at Redlands Grange, north of the town centre. However, they have confirmed that they are now willing to reconsider the EVCH as the location for their new surgery building.
In a letter sent to Mr Mak today (22 August), the CCG confirmed that they would agree to his request and have written to the owners of the building, NHS Property Services, reversing their decision to declare the site as surplus for medical requirements. This legal step ensures that for the time being, the Victoria Cottage Hospital can only be considered for use as a medical site.
After receiving the news from the CCG, Alan has also immediately written to NHS Property Services asking that they remove all marketing and sale-related promotional material as soon as possible.
Alan Mak MP said: “Since I found out without notice four weeks ago that the Emsworth Victoria Cottage Hospital site was being listed for sale I have made this issue my number one priority, devoting much time and energy. I am delighted that my efforts have been successful, and the CCG have agreed to my request and have revered their decision to declare the site as surplus for medical use. While this is an important and early success, it is only the first step in the process – and I will look to secure more progress in the coming months.”
Alan will now be hosting a closed roundtable meeting in early September to discuss plans for future use of the site with all of the key stakeholders.
He added: “I hope that my meeting will be a good opportunity to both bring together all the decision-makers, underlining to them the views of the community, and agree on a road-map for the way forward.”
See alanmak.org.uk/EVCH for more details