A PETITION to upgrade urgent and emergency care at the Hospital of St Cross has been launched by a Rugby parliamentary candidate.
County Councillor Yousef Dahmash, who will stand for the Conservatives in Rugby and Bulkington at the next general election, is calling on local healthcare commissioners to bring back doctor-led urgent and emergency care to Rugby – saying ‘politicians do not have the final say’.
He says the upgrade is needed to reflect the growing population in the region by offering better emergency care in Rugby and taking pressure off University Hospital Coventry (UHC), which currently covers nearly 600,000 patients – above the national average.
Coun Dahmash said: “I know just how important our hospital is to everyone. I’ve had to take my own daughter to UHC because she couldn’t be seen at St Cross, and many other families throughout Rugby will have faced similar challenges.
“We all know there is a need for an upgrade of urgent care services at St Cross, but politicians do not have the final say on this. What we now need is for the local health commissioners to recognise this need and deliver these services.
“I am confident that, if we all back this campaign and show the depth of feeling we all have about this issue, we’ll get the result we all want to see.”
The Chief Executive Officer of NHS Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), the body which commissions healthcare services on the region, said it was ‘fully committed’ to ensuring the people of Rugby had access to the ‘best possible’ healthcare services.
Phil Johns said: “The ICB constantly monitors population changes to ensure NHS services meet the needs of local communities and we will act to increase provision where there is a need.
“The Urgent Treatment Centre at St Cross, which sees more than 25,000 people per year, provides high-quality medical care 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for minor illness and injuries for those aged over five years. Patients with more complex medical conditions are referred, or taken by ambulance if required, to be cared for by specialists at UHC.
“University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust has also set out a clear commitment in its organisational strategy to invest in more services at St Cross, including a new endoscopy unit opening next month, expansion of ultra sound services, enhanced services for women requiring breast surgery, and more theatre provision.”
Visit https://tinyurl.com/4npa2s35 to sign the petition.
