Visiting Health Facilities in Gateshead

On Friday, Gateshead's Health Scrutiny Committee (I am a member), visited Dunston Hill Hospital which the local health trust wants to close. The services there have been gradually reduced over the decades with the result that only two functions are carried out there in one unit, with the rest of the site now derelict. My annoyance with the closure process is that a new home has not been found for one of the services but closure is to go ahead as the need to sell the site for new housing is driving the need to shut down the site. I raised this point at the last meeting of the committee and we will be returning to this issue at the next meeting on 15th October.

The tour on Friday was rounded off with a visit to the St Bede's palliative care unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. This is a facility with which I am familiar. Dad was in there for three weeks last year and it was where he passed away.