Supporters of the transfer (From Stroud News and Journal)

Supporters of the transfer

Supporters of the transfer have in the past pointed out that although Standish is the local hospital for Stroud there is no accident and emergency unit and it does target specific illnesses.

The 123 bed hospital excels in orthopaedic surgery and the care of patients suffering from chronic chest complaints and asthma. Around 130 nurses are employed to run the five wards.

Two orthopaedic wards cover a range of ailments from hip replacements to bunions, and there is a dependency unit for the care of patients recovering from major surgery.

The hospital was formerly a manor house owned by Lord Sherbourne. Peacocks roam the grounds and there is a hydrotherapy pool for physiotherapy.

Operational manager at Standish Hospital, Chris Rice believes that the move to Gloucester will be for the best.

The nurses have accepted the decision to close, many work between both the sites now anyway, she said.

It is difficult being 11 miles away from Gloucester when we need the critical care support they can offer. Project manager for Gloucester Royal NHS Trust, Irwin Wilson said: We appreciate the feelings in the area but modern health care for acute services need to be brought together.

In the new development we are trying to capture all the good things about Standish.