Harborough Hospital ''Date lines Revealed but More Delays Inevitable''

As news began to emerge over recent weeks of yet more delays to the 'New Harborough Hospital' major questions are being asked as to just what is going on and who will ensure the scheme will actually be delivered?

Disappointment, dismay and deepening concern are just some of the sentiments being expressed by Health Campaigner Cllr Phil Knowles that resulted in him meeting with Top NHS England Bosses late on Friday to get the answers that he says Residents of Harborough have a right to expect!

Meeting with NHS England Area Director David Sharp and Finance Director Andy Leary, Phil Knowles asked what had gone wrong, what is happening now and just when will the building of the facility get underway?

'' There is no way for Health Bosses to gloss over this, the first thing NHS England and the CCG have to accept is that if the many earlier promises had been met then the project would at the very least have been started or the new Hospital open for service. What has happened with this scheme is literally beyond belief.

"Now the new business plan from the Commissioning Group sits on David Sharp's desk with a target date of September 25th 2013 for consideration by the NHS England local Board. If Mr Sharp is 100% happy with the Business Plan and is sure NHS Property also totally buy in then, and only then, he will push the project up to the NHS England Regional Board and on to the National Board. He told me however that if there is the slightest hint that he suspects something is not quite right he will delay passing the plan forward by at least a month to October 25th, the date of the next scheduled local Board meeting and work as necessary as a critical friend with the CCG or NHS Property to iron out any problems.

"Mr Sharp assured me that he backs the scheme 100% and wants to be sure that when it leaves his desk it should be literally a rubber stamping exercise at both Region and National level''

The discussion then turned to time scales as Phil Knowles underlined that silence was not an option and residents want answers.

'' I understand that from the time the scheme is passed from David Sharp's desk to receiving a final go ahead could be twelve to sixteen weeks with a potential additional 40 days for tendering processes. This will I understand also incorporate decisions on the matter of funding identification which will include discussions as to if this can be regarded as old funding already approved or new money which needs the discussion to start again at day zero. Put all of this together and it means that it is reasonable to say that the project will be delayed again and the likely start date is first quarter 2014 - sometime between Jan 1st and April 1st, up to another whole year lost.

"Both David Sharp and Andy Leary tell me that they see the Harborough Hospital as an Investment not an expenditure, a positive contribution to Health Care in Leicestershire in General and Harborough Area in particular. For my part I have made it very clear that this latest delay is one delay too far, the people of Harborough deserve better.

"We have agreed to keep in close contact, to meet again shortly for an update. I have offered to assist in any way I can, I have offered to meet/present the wider case to the National and Regional Boards who in my view would benefit from an insight of the background from the campaign we have undertaken for over 25 years.

"It is now quite simple, I made the point very clearly to both Mr Sharp and Mr Leary that whilst I am grateful for their openness, honesty, confirmation of responsibility for delivering the Harborough Hospital plan and agreement to meet me so quickly we are now at a critical point. No more broken promises, no more periods of silence, no more disappointments. Those with the positions of responsibility must finally see the Hospital scheme delivered and with no more delays. ''

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