Since its formation the Cranleigh Village Hospital Trust (CVHT) has been asked many questions. Some can be answered simply, others require a more detailed explanation. There are some questions we cannot answer at all at the present time, but more will become clear over the coming months, and when we can we will.

The project is still in the early planning stages, but if you have any further questions do not hesitate to ask.

The Trust can be contacted at the following:
The Shop and Awareness Centre
Oliver House,
High Street,
Cranleigh.

phone: 01483 276121
e-mail: info@cranleighhospital.org

Cranleigh Village Hospital has been at the heart of the local community for almost 150 years. It earned its place in history as the first cottage hospital in the country when the village rector and a doctor founded it in 1859.

Throughout its turbulent history, villagers have jealously guarded the Hospital's reputation for caring, fighting off numerous attempts by health officials to close its doors.

In 1974 the Hospital teetered on the edge of closure. Community Hospitals were unfashionable once again and local people embarked on a David and Goliath fight that was taken to Westminster. When the fight was won the Health Authority asked the community to help it find the money to extend, or the Hospital would close.

After 17 weeks frenetic activity the money was raised, the Hospital was extended and opened in a blaze of publicity by the Minister of State for Health. The future was secure - or was it?

In 1998, with South West Surrey Health Authority facing debts of - £28m - Cranleigh Hospital was back on the hit list.

Again the community was ready to fight. Within weeks of announcing that consultation would begin, a public meeting was called. Many who attended that Christmas Meeting including health officials will never forget it. The public, including South West Surrey Community Health Council, warned they would not sit idly by and watch the Hospital close. The Health Authority agreed the Hospital should stay provided it met modern standards.

Healthcare for the 21st Century

Within weeks, Cranleigh Village Hospital Trust was formed and following an offer of land from a village benefactor it was agreed to build a new hospital and health centre.

When the CVHT, led by Cranleigh's Head of Practice Dr Robin Fawkner- Corbett, took on the huge task of raising more than £2m, it decided that the Hospital would never again face the axe. This time the community would own the Hospital with the NHS providing the services.

The Community has shown how much it cares for the Hospital down the years. Now, the newly formed Trust is asking everyone to demonstrate their commitment for a new hospital with the same traditions to serve future generations in the 21st century.

Q. Who owns the current Cranleigh Village Hospital and Health Centre?
The buildings and land belong to the State. Until March 2002 they were managed by the local NHS Trust who provided community health services. On 1 April 2002 this responsibility passed to the newly-formed NHS Trust - the Guildford and Waverley Primary Care Trust.

Q. What health services are provided in the existing Hospital and what will be provided in the new hospital and health centre ?
Currently there are 14 beds, 3 consulting rooms for outpatient clinics, a physiotherapy clinic, a day hospital for the elderly and a small facility for outpatient mental health services.

At the Health Centre, the GP's provide a full range of primary care services. The Guildford and Waverley Primary Care Trust supplies District Nurses, Health Visitors and dental and chiropody services.

The new Hospital and Health Centre, in addition to providing all the current services, will provide, in improved facilities, 20 inpatient beds, double the number of outpatient consulting rooms, consulting rooms for additional GP's and an office for the local Social Services team. We propose to provide further facilities, for example a pharmacy and x-ray, as funding becomes available.

Q. Do we really need to have Cranleigh Hospital as well as the services provided in the Royal Surrey County Hospital?
The Royal Surrey is an acute hospital which concentrates on acute illnesses and surgical procedures. Fortunately most of the care we need does not fall into this category and can be provided closer to home. Rehabilitation and the maintenance of chronic conditions is better carried out in a non-acute setting
such as a local hospital. This is often much more convenient for patients and for their relatives.

At public meetings both the local community and the relevant NHS bodies have stated their full support for the continued provision of a hospital and care centre in Cranleigh.

Q. Does the NHS support the building of the new hospital?
Yes, the West Surrey Health Authority at its meeting on 30th January 2002 recommended that its successor authority, the Guildford and Waverley Primary Care Trust, should continue to support the work of Cranleigh Village Hospital Trust (CVHT) in developing the proposed new facility.

Q. Why build a new hospital and health centre rather than improve the existing one? Are there advantages in having the two buildings together?
The existing buildings are partly listed and cannot be adapted economically to meet the changing needs either of patients, the advances in medical technology or the new regulations from Westminster and Brussels.

The buildings are too small and the site is too restricted to lend itself to further development. There would be a complete disruption of the existing health services if we were to attempt to re-build either facility on the current sites.

There will then be a one-stop primary health care facility. The combining of the two has the advantage of improving communications benefiting both patients and staff and the cost sharing will result in savings that can be invested to continually improve services.

Q. What will happen to the old Hospital and Health Centre? Will the NHS make the proceeds of sale available to meet the cost of building the new hospital? Will there be a gap in the provision of services whilst the new facility is built?
After the services have moved to the new hospital and health centre, the old buildings will be declared surplus to requirements by the Primary Care Trust, who will then have to seek approval from the Treasury to sell the sites.

Only the Treasury can decide whether the proceeds of sale of the existing hospital land and buildings can be returned to the local health economy or whether it is needed more elsewhere.

However the NHS will continue to support the new hospital by maintaining the current level of revenue funding.

The NHS in general will not make funds available to modernise or build new community hospitals, but is supportive of other ways to provide local care and services and it does recognise the need for this.

There will be no gap in the provision of services. At our public meeting in November 2001, the Health Authority promised to maintain services in the existing buildings whilst the new hospital and health centre are being built.

Q. What is Cranleigh Village Hospital Trust (CVHT) and will it build and own the new hospital and health centre?
CVHT is a charity which will build and own the new hospital and health centre for the benefit of the local community in perpetuity.

CVHT was incorporated on 16th July 2001 as a charitable company limited by guarantee. The current Trustees, of whom Dr Robin Fawkner-Corbett is Chairman, were the first members of the Trust.

The objects of CVHT are the relief of sickness in Cranleigh and the surrounding area, particularly through the provision of hospital and other services. CVHT was registered as a charity by the Charity Commission on
19th December 2001.

Q. How will the costs of building and equipping the new hospital and health centre be financed?
The cost of building the hospital will be financed partly by the rents to be paid by the Primary Care Trust for use of the accommodation and facilities and partly by the monies, currently estimated at £2m, which CVHT proposes to raise with help from the community and partly by the income from its provision of
private health services.

The cost of equipping the hospital will be from three sources; the NHS, the League of Friends of Cranleigh Village Hospital (The League of Friends) and through donations. The cost of building, equipping and running the health centre will be financed entirely by the NHS rents which the GP's receive.

Q. The proposed 3 acre hospital site is being provided to CVHT by the Parish Council, facilitated by the generous gift to the Parish Council of a piece of land of around 8 acres in Knowle Lane. Why can't the new hospital be built on the larger site?
The proposed site is ideally located close to the centre of the village and, in particular, the Village Way Car Park. This means that many patients can walk to the new hospital and health centre.

Both sites fall outside the planning boundary of the village but we believe that it is more likely planning consent would be granted for the smaller site because of the adjoining community facilities. The larger site is much more isolated with difficult pedestrian access.

Q. How can I contribute?
Your help would be greatly appreciated. You can telephone us on 01483 276121 or call in at our Shop and Awareness Centre and tell us what you wish to offer in terms of time, organisational skills, financial or other
support.

Q. Will the proposed site be big enough for expansion?
The proposed site will allow for some form of future expansion and our initial
design will have regard to this.

Q. Where precisely will the new hospital be on the site?
The building is likely to be located towards the south eastern corner of the site, closest to the Village Way Car Park, but the exact location will depend on the size and design of the overall project and its future expansion needs.

Q. What will be the access and parking arrangements?
The main access to the site from Knowle Lane will initially be a matter for discussion and agreement with the Surrey County Council Highway Engineers.

Some car parking will be provided on site for disabled patients and hospital and health centre staff. The Village Way Car Park is so close that it will limit the need for on-site parking.

Q. Will there be a change in the basis and the area from which, referrals to the new hospital will be made?
Referrals will always be made on the basis of need. On April 1st 2002 West Surrey Health Authority merged with several other health authorities to form one Strategic Health Authority covering Surrey and Sussex. This authority will set the budgets which local Primary Care Trusts administer so, in theory, Cranleigh could attract
both patients and funding for services from nearby areas of Surrey and Sussex.

In the last two years Cranleigh Hospital has cared for patients from Albury, Alfold, Blackheath, Bramley, Chilworth, Dorking, Dunsfold, Ellens Green, Elstead, Ewhurst, Forest Green, Godalming, Guildford, Hascombe, Loxwood, Milford, Oakwood Hill, Peasmarsh, Rudgwick, Shalford, Shamley Green, Shere, Walliswood and Wonersh.

Q. The current use of the proposed site is a sports field. What will be the use by the Parish Council of the site being acquired in return? Will it be used for sports and recreational purposes?
It is anticipated that the land will be transferred to the Parish Council in its current state. The future use(s) are a matter for the Parish Council to determine subject to the necessary planning consent.

Q. Does the League of Friends support the new hospital and health centre? What will happen to the equipment in the existing Hospital which it has funded?
The League of Friends strongly supports the proposed development of a new hospital and health centre. All equipment which can be re-used from the existing Hospital will be transferred to the new hospital. This includes all that the League of Friends has provided including some of the plants in the garden!

Money which has been donated to the League of Friends will be used to fund equipment for the new hospital to ensure that we can provide the level of health care which the community deserves.

Q. What steps have to be achieved before building begins?
There will need to be in place planning and other statutory consents, the vesting of the land in the CVHT, and formal agreements with the relevant health authorities. All of these have been the subject of preliminary
discussion and provisional approval. In addition the necessary funding must be raised or committed.

Illustration depicts areas from which referrals have been made in the last two years