Newmarket's MP Matt Hancock 'thrilled' with new beds at town's community hospital

Newmarket's MP has said he is thrilled the number of beds at the town's community hospital has almost doubled.

Newmarket Community Hospital's Rosemary Ward has had 14 new beds added, taking the total at the Exning Road hospital to 33.

Matt Hancock, the secretary of state for health, said: "I am thrilled we are expanding Newmarket Hospital. When I became MP a decade ago, all the talk was about stopping the hospital from shrinking. Now I am proud we're seeing it grow so our hospital will be there for the long term."

The beds have been gradually introduced since mid-May and have come with 15 new nurses and healthcare assistants to help look after patients, along with a new portering team.

The West Suffolk MP added: "I have seen first-hand the fantastic work that goes on at Newmarket Hospital and it is wonderful to have these additional beds available to treat local residents and support the wider NHS, particularly at this difficult time as we continue to fight Covid."

"The way Newmarket has brought together hospital treatment, community services, and GP care for the benefit of patients and the community is really positive and I am so glad to see it expanding. I want to say a huge thanks to the whole team who are helping make this happen."

Helen Ballam, ward manager, said: "The work to create the ward was really impressive. An area that was just offices and storage has been transformed in just a few weeks, and we have nearly doubled the number of beds and the nursing staff."

The new beds will be used for patients who do not need more intensive levels of care available at West Suffolk Hospital, in Bury St Edmunds , and includes patients who have tested negative for Covid-19 but still need support recovering from the virus.

The hospital offers both in and out patients a range of clinics and testing services, including X-rays and blood tests. Community nurses are also based at the site, as is the re-located Oakfield Surgery.

But the expanded ward is a far cry to what the hospital used to be.

Once home to 275 hospital beds during the 1980s as the government wanted to focus acute services in big regional hubs the hospital began to wind down, sparking a battle to save it.

Thousands of Newmarket residents took to the streets, demanding for the hospital to stay open and a petition was delivered to Downing Street in 1991 by The Journal , sister title to Suffolk News, calling for John Major, the prime minister, to step in.

But townspeople lost their fight and in June 1991 heath officials voted to downgrade the hospital. A new £8 million community hospital was then built with the health authority selling off the old hospital buildings and land for housing.

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