Woking Community Hospital is a fantastic asset to the area and must have its budget safeguarded even in the current difficult economic climate – that was the view of Woking MP Humfrey Malins and Conservative parliamentary candidate Jonathan Lord as they toured the facility on Monday.

Jonathan Lord, who sits on Surrey’s Health Scrutiny Committee at County Hall, was keen to talk to management and staff at the hospital to discover more about their experiences and to gain an insight into both current and future issues.

The site, off Hill View Road, provides 48 beds for older people and 12 beds for younger people with disabilities. There are also 20 beds for older people with dementia-type illness. Many residents from Woking and the surrounding area use the NHS walk-in centre and emergency dental access clinic.

Jonathan and Humfrey spent the morning chatting to staff and patients and looking around the impressive array of services that the community hospital has to offer. Both agreed that the hardworking staff contributed enormously to the positive, enthusiastic and vibrant hospital environment.

Humfrey said that he believed that excellent local services such as the community hospital should aim to stay both excellent and local. Jonathan added: “I continue to be impressed with the variety of treatments available at the community hospital, from physiotherapy and podiatry to X-ray and kidney dialysis.

“It is also important to highlight the work of the The Friends of Woking Community Hospital, which has raised £250,000 during the past 10 years. I think that local people who do terrific work to support the community hospital deserve to be recognised along with the hospital itself. 

“If elected, I will work hard to try to ensure that the community hospital continues to have the resources that it needs to operate effectively for the benefit of all residents. An excellent local hospital such as this must be supported so that it can continue to deliver outstanding levels of care to local patients.

“I believe that Woking Community Hospital is a vital part of the local NHS; its work and its staff should be recognised and appreciated.”

David Cameron has said that the Conservatives will protect NHS spending, will change the Government’s ‘top-down’ target culture, and will delegate much more power and responsibility to the local level.

8th February 2010