Campaigners left 'in tears' after survey findings about a hospital in Lutterworth

A survey into the need for a hospital in Lutterworth saw some 2,000 residents reply.

In 2020 The Mary Guppy Group contacted 17,000 homes across south Leicestershire about their use of the Feilding Palmer Hospital – which was under threat of closure.

The group – made up of 80-year-old Mary Guppy, Bill Piper and David Fish - say some of the survey’s findings left them ‘in tears’.

The NHS has since announced it would keep the hospital open and extend it by establishing outpatients and day surgery at the site.

The group say their survey findings show need for a hospital in Lutterworth and that residents think there is a huge distance from the town to central hospitals – with one cancelling an appointment after being quoted a £70 round-trip by taxi firms.

A group spokesman said: “Replies in the free text boxes in the survey detailed the problems, cost and stress of travelling to the Leicester hospitals from LE17.

“A good number of these comments left us in tears. The number and consistency of these replies were a shock. Numerous replies were how long, difficult, awful and dreadful is the journey to and from central hospitals. These replies underline the vision of ‘care closer to home’ to be developed.

“One person had to cancel his treatment because he couldn’t afford the bus fares, public transport takes two hours with a change of bus, and 45 minutes congested roads by car.”

The group says to improve the facilities rehabilitation beds and an end-of-life unit should be created.

They added: “We do not need to tell you of the therapeutic benefit of recovery patients, being not only close to their homes but also receive many visits from friends and family - which our survey suggested was less likely to happen, were they in Leicester.

“These factors would naturally reduce the demand for expenses to Leicester central hospitals. Some 95 per cent wanted beds in the local hospital – while not exactly defining what beds, practically, these would be step-down and end-of-life.”