Pompey News: "Haslar prepares to close its doors"

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/newshome/Gosport39s-Royal-Hospital-Haslar-reaches.5419793.jp


http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/newshome/Friends-hand-over-thousands-as.5413708.jp

 

What a sad day and one that is indicative of how little Goverments of either persuasion can be bothered with providing proper medical and aftercare for those who have been injured. The Defence Costs Study programme (under the Tories) was the beginning of the end for proper military medical care in this country and although Haslar hasn't been a Military Hospital for many a year it appears as if politicians are so blind to need that they refuse to look at the gift horse in front of them. There is no reason apart from saving pennies that Haslar could not have gone back to being a Military Hospital. When there was no conflict the local community benefited from its expertise, when there was conflict then beds would be freed up so that injured service personnel could be treated in military wards manned by military personnel who had some inkling of what these people might have been through.

There is enough room at Haslar for it be a complete centre of excellence for military medicine. It could accommodate rehab, burns, mental health issues as well as battle injury. I know of no one who thinks that its closure is any way a good idea

The loss of Haslar to the military and the people of the area is an absolute disgrace.

 

Couldn't agree more, Jambosun.

A fantastic centre with modern theatres, ICU and radiology suites. Secure with neighbouring accommodation and messes. Gosport remains the alma mater for Naval Medical Services.

Closed because noone could stand up for the military - the specific needs and the specific nature of Service personnel (patients and medical / nursing staff). There are so many ways Haslar could have been saved if a bit of effort had been put it. Unfortunately it was not to be. Now we're stuck with Birmingham which, having been established for almost 10 years now, has yet to have accommodation or messing. The upcoming multi-million pound build at Lichfield will be too far outside Birmingham to be useful to any personnel working at RCDM and will be nothing but a Staff Officers' paradise.

A great shame and disgrace.

 

Due to it's history, is it not a listed building. therefore immune from redevelopment ? Totally agree with Jambosun - if the proposed concentration of the Fleet at Pompey goes ahead, why are the medical facilities at the end of a roundabout rail route ? Having said that, remember when they sold off Stonehouse, the Admirals house started going for about 600 grand - money talks to this lot.

 

Sooner this govt is dumped the better!!!!

 

If you actually look deeper into the restructuring of Tri Service Medical care you will find this:

It was decide that the MOD would only retain one hospital to be used by all servicemen.

That hospital was designated as Haslar for the following reasons:

It had the best facilities, which included MRI, compression chamber, lots of wards and one of the major plus points was the ready made facility of HMS Dolphin as it was to be become the base for Tri service medical training. Accomodation, classrooms and on site hospital for training.

Millions was then poured into Haslar to attain this aim.

The wards started to be filled by Tri service personel as staff.

Then something took place that changed the whole plan.

A new hospital was to be built solely for servicemen near birmingham and also a new training facility was to be built.

As Haslar now closes we still await the hospital, not just a few extra wards on an existing hospital, and the training facilty is to be a camp that exists but requires millions and millions of pounds to get it ready.

Why the change??

My view high up the RN was outnumbered by the Army and RAF and in parliament by those opposed to having the facilities down south and so far away from the majority of their respective forces.

End result, millions of pounds wasted to achieve not even half of what we already had in place.

Before anyone mentions Headley court, it was already in place and being used when Haslar was still in full use.

 

DCS 15 as stated killed off the Military Hospital, way back in the 90's. I have had the dubious honour of watching ALL military hospitals in UK and BAOR close. The UK locations are slowy being sold off to developers followed I am sure by the Haslar site.

It is sad those charged with the study toe'd the Govt line and killed off any hope of retaining a miliaty hospital by stating the NHS could provide adequate services and the correct enviroment for the training of military staff in the future. My only hope is these officers wake every morning and know what dis-service they have done to our medical heritage, morale and more importantly the care of those requiring medical treatment.

Sadly one has just been honoured in the Birthday Honours list- 12 pieces of silver I think.

Rant over.

 

At the very least they could turn it into a Rehabiliatation Centre, given the high concentration of armed service personnel in the area. In fact the MOD is looking to site a Centre of Excellence somewhere for it (in addition to Headley Ct) . The common sense answer would be to use part of Haslar, an existing MOD site. But the bean counters will do the opposite...

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/DefencePolicyAndBusiness/StudyLaunchedIntoProposalsForNewMilitaryRehabilitationCentre.htm

 

Whittington Barracks, which was formerly the training centre for the Prince of Wales Division, is not actually in Lichfield, it is between Lichfield and Tamworth.
This puts it at a junction link to all major Motorways , so it is not out in the sticks. It is very easily reached from Birmingham, its only 30 Min's on a creep along bus, so by car it is about 15/20 Min's depending how you drive.
There is also excellent Railway links to the rest of UK as both the West Coast and East coast lines are well within striking distance.

It is far more accessible than the Queen Elizabeth or Selly Oak Hospitals, and offers accommodation in plenty and all the Medical expertise is moving there from Nuneaton Military Unit as well as others.

 

But its still in Birmingham...Is English spoken there? :?

 

Well thats it then,hundreds of years of History and Service down the pan!The people that made this decision should be flayed alive.It will in time, come back to haunt the Powers that be and they will be saying" Wish we hadnt closed down RNH Haslar".Personally i think it should be redeveloped into the RN and RM equivalent of the Royal Hospital Chelsea,to care for our lads and lasses in the Twighlight of their years.

 

Nah, ..its not Brum oppo, its darkest Staffordshire. Its well to the North East of Brum, about 18 miles to city, and 9/10 miles to city boundary.
There's a thread running about GPS devices, I see you aint got one you old git.
English?....... well I don't guarantee that gets spoken north of Watford Gap( according to London legend) but we do an uncannily well recognised form of sign language, sometimes using as little as one finger. :twisted: 8O

Having said this I will mourn the passing of Haslar, as will my missus, I was both a patient and staff there and she was a QARNN there in the 80's.
I got done for breaking ship there and ended up in DQ's, and that was as a patient. :twisted: 8O