In response to the Integrated Care Board Consultation on Community Rehabilitation Beds, the Town Council of Shipston on Stour submits the following observations of the predominant views of the residents. These concerns have also been conveyed as the views of the population of Shipston and surroundings during the meeting of the WCC Adult Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 22nd January. 

The District Council have now given their response to the consultation…

Here is what the letter said…

Dear resident,

Beds for Badger Campaign Update

I am writing to update you on our ongoing campaign to restore in-patient beds at Ellen Badger Hospital in Shipston. The removal of these beds has rightly sparked frustration across our community.

Thanks to the incredible efforts of the Beds for Badger campaign, over 4,000 signatures were collected in just a few weeks, and at the beginning of the year I was honoured to deliver this petition in parliament, which has now been passed to the Secretary of State for Health & Social Care, on your behalf.

The NHS is built on the principle of collaboration, yet our community has been excluded from meaningful consultation. Community hospitals, as their name suggests, should serve the needs of their communities-not just in name, but in practice.

The Ellen Badger Hospital has served Shipston for over 125 years, and it must include the vital in- patient facilities which our growing and aging population desperately needs. That should not come at the cost of beds elsewhere. As your MP, I will continue to work hard to ensure that the voice of local residents is heard.
Finally, I also want to thank everyone who has supported this campaign so far. Your passion and determination is making a difference – I doubt there would be a consultation at all if it were not for you!
I will keep fighting on your behalf to ensure Shipston gets the healthcare it deserves, and keep you updated on this vital campaign,

Warm regards,

Manuela
Dr Manuela Perteghella MP
Member of Parliament for Stratford on Avon

Alasdair Elliott, Chairman of the Beds for Badger Campaign Group; John Dinnie, Mayor of Shipston Town Council; Dave Passingham, Stratford District Council Councillor and Carole Gibbs from the Campaign Group were all in the House of Commons Gallery on Wednesday 8th January 2025 to see Manuela Perteghella, MP for Stratford on Avon deliver our petition to Parliament.

Our local NHS Trust is effectively increasing rural inequalities by keeping the in-patient beds they ‘temporarily’ stripped out of Shipston’s Ellen Badger Hospital. They are pitting communities against each other by saying that delivering good care in Shipston means having worse care elsewhere. We think this is a despicable tactic.

Have your say in the ICB Public Consultation. See other posts on the Beds for Badger Facebook page showing you how.

… The CQC has rated this medical facility as :’ A Shadow Of It’s Former Self’

To be clear the front-line staff are outstanding. The hollowing out of Ellen Badger Hospital is the work of those higher up the pecking order.

If you want a proper hospital in Shipston you need to fight for it. There are two options under consideration: A and B. Option A includes beds in Shipston but the ICB has declared it to be “sub-optimal” and say that Option B is “more beneficial”. So you can clearly see where this is heading.

Find out more and have your say in the public consultation which ends on 14th February. Here is the link to the ICB Public Consultation website.

https://www.happyhealthylives.uk/integrated-care-board/your-voice/current-consultations/south-warwickshire-community-hospital-rehabilitation-bed-consultation/

Steal: verb

past participle: stolen
take property without permission and without intending to return it. e.g. “The wily fox has stolen the badgers’ beds”.

While we are at it let’s have a go at defining the word “temporary”.

Temporary: adjective

lasting for only a limited period of time; not permanent. e.g. “The beds have been temporarily removed from Shipston to Leamington”.

If you want a proper hospital in Shipston you need to fight for it. There are two options under consideration: A and B. Option A includes beds in Shipston but the ICB has declared it to be “sub-optimal” and say that Option B is “more beneficial”. So you can clearly see where this is heading.

Find out more and have your say in the public consultation which ends on 14th February. Here is the link to the ICB Public Consultation website.

https://www.happyhealthylives.uk/integrated-care-board/your-voice/current-consultations/south-warwickshire-community-hospital-rehabilitation-bed-consultation/

Yes, you read it correctly, 4,000 Voices Strong: Our Petition for Parliament!

 On Saturday, November 16, we proudly presented over 4,000 signatures to our MP, Manuela Perteghella, who will champion our cause in Parliament on behalf of Shipston and the surrounding villages. Thanks to the many local shops and villages that made petition forms available, we achieved this remarkable response in just under four weeks.

As we prepare for a public consultation in early January, the Beds4Badger Committee aims to meet with the Integrated Care Board (ICB) beforehand. This meeting will allow us to convey our reasoning and express the community’s strong desire to restore essential facilities at the former Ellen Badger Hospital, including beds and medical services.

Our campaign is now advancing to Parliament, and with your continued support, we hope to make our voices heard loud and clear! Thank you for standing with us!

Dr Kirsten Protherough, Chair of the CHA wrote to Lord Darzi on behalf of the CHA…

advocating for 20 years. The effective use of 10 Year Plan. Lord Darzi responded with a very

clear message about the value of community community hospitals is crucial in supporting flow

through acute hospitals and treating

hospitals.