Accrington Victoria Hospital to close over safety fears

A spokesperson for the trust, which manages Royal Blackburn, Burnley General, Accrington Victoria, and Pendle and Clitheroe Community Hospitals, said it will ensure the historic site, which dates back to 1894, is “preserved for generations to come”.

Services at the hospital are being moved to other health centres in Hyndburn, but the closure has drawn derision and concern from local officials.

Hyndburn MP Sarah Smith has blamed the 'underinvestment' by the previous Conservative government as a reason for the building's fall into disrepair. 

The closure follows the closure of the walk-in centre at the hospital in 2018, which then-MP Graham Jones campaigned against.

ELHT said the hospital in Haywood Road, Accrington, was in a "critical condition" but that main services would remain in the town for local people, with most moving only around a mile away. 

ELHT chief executive Martin Hodgson said the hospital is beyond repair A spokesperson said large parts of the building are closed and the roof has collapsed, adding that it is “full of asbestos”. They said it is “dangerous to remain there”.

Once the moves are completed, the trust said it was committed to working with local people including Hyndburn Council, MP Sarah Smith, and the wider community to "both celebrate Accrington Victoria’s rich history and ensure investment was secured to protect its legacy for the future". 

ELHT chief executive, Martin Hodgson, said: “I know how strongly people in Accrington feel about the hospital and I want to respect and recognise its incredible history, right at the heart of the town since 1894 and certainly before the NHS began.  

 “I am so sorry we have to move out, but the simple truth is the building is beyond repair or reconfiguration as a health care facility and we have been unable to keep on top of the immense, routine maintenance required for quite some time.  

 “Large parts of it are closed, the roof has collapsed in a number of places, it’s full of asbestos and the heating system originally fired by three boilers is down to one, which if it fails simply cannot be repaired.

Hyndburn MP Sarah Smith said the town is losing a key asset "It is dangerous to remain there as we head into winter and, sadly, the building no longer provides the kind of environment we need for patients or our teams.” 

The trust said the four main services currently provided at the hospital will remain local and be relocated just a short distance away at either Accrington PALS, in the town centre, or Acorns, in Blackburn Road.

These services are the minor injuries unit (MIU), x-ray, outpatients, and GP services delivered by PWE Healthcare. 

Mr Hodgson added: “We’ll move these services as quickly as we can to ensure there is minimal disruption to patients and their care.

"We will work with colleagues across the local authority and wider health and social care system to do this together and provide as much information as we can about where things are going to be."

Hyndburn’s Labour MP, Sarah Smith, said she is “extremely concerned” about the news, and blamed underinvestment by previous Conservative governments for the building's deterioration.

Former MP Sara Britcliffe denied she had known about the problems and not acted She said: "It is well known that the NHS is facing a national crisis.

"Years of underinvestment by the previous Conservative government have caused untold damage and here is further evidence of this in our community.

"The building has been crumbling and residents now stand to lose this key asset.

“I know that the hospital provides vital local health services and that the building is much loved by residents. They have fought tirelessly to save the hospital before. It was paid for by residents through subscriptions and remains so important to all of us.

“As your MP, I am doing all that I can to mitigate the worst impacts of this situation.

"I am in direct dialogue with the leadership of ELHT and have asked for a more detailed analysis of the current position of the hospital.

"I am working on how we can make contingency plans whilst we work on saving the building and ensuring services will remain local.”

Mrs Smith also accused her Tory predecessor Sara Britcliffe of being aware of the problems and "doing nothing".

She said: “I am also shocked and angry to learn that the previous Conservative MP knew how bad this situation was for almost two years but chose to do nothing.

"It is nothing less than a complete dereliction of her duty to the residents of Hyndburn."

Miss Britcliffe denies these claims and said she “would have moved heaven and earth” to prevent the local hospital and services from moving.

She said: “As a local woman, I would’ve moved heaven and earth to ensure our local hospital and services didn’t move. My record speaks to that. 

“I’ve fought for changes to improve women’s health and fought against local decisions to close community healthcare provision. My record is consistent.

"Our new MP must now show she can stand up for our home with the same zeal."

As for the future of the Accrington Victoria site, ELHT said it wants to work with the community in Hyndburn to preserve the historic buildings for future use.

Mr Hodgson said: “Once this part is complete, our intention is for local people to be a big part of deciding what comes next for Accrington Victoria and how the hospital site can be protected and regenerated for years to come, as a lasting legacy to the community that owns it. 

“The trust is committed to this and that includes ensuring any redevelopment is sensitive to the physical and historical elements of the site.

“Our aim is to retain the facades and character of the building and bring it back into purposeful use for local people.

"This is similar to the Dovestones facility we created in Burnley, which has been hugely successful and has changed the lives of people who live there and use it for the better.

“We want to ensure all of the memories, the key moments in life that have happened there and all of the artefacts, images and historical plaques on the walls are preserved and cherished for the future.

“I would ask people with a connection to Accrington Victoria, or who have a story or a photograph they’d like to share, to get in touch.

"We would absolutely love to hear and see them – and maybe they will spark ideas about what happens next.” 

Hyndburn councillor Zak Khan said: "Accrington Victoria Community Hospital has served our community for decades, and remains our only community hospital in Hyndburn.

"Any decision to close it is not only the wrong one, but contrary to NHS bosses encouraging patients to stay away from A&E for minor injuries.

"Patients will have no alternative than to put unnecessary additional pressure on Blackburn and Burnley."

Many will agree with me that heading to 'Accy Vic' is an unusually quick, efficient service compared to alternative A&E units, and the Trust could look to better re-purpose the site to take on a more prominent role in East Lancashire

ELHT advised that if you are a patient with an upcoming appointment at Accrington Victoria to continue to attend in line with those arrangements, unless you hear otherwise about a change in the time or the place.

Sarah Smith has encouraged any residents with concerns about the announcement to contact her at Sarah.smith.MP@parliament.uk.

Full details of changes in service locations and to get involved with future plans for the Accrington Victoria Community Hospital site, contact accrington.victoria@elht.nhs.uk.