Rugby's rapid growth means we must demand a return of ambulance hub at St Cross, councillors say

Cllr Barbara Brown (New Bilton, Labour) submitted the motion and Rugby Labour leader Cllr Maggie O'Rourke has seconded it.

The motion, which will be discussed at the Rugby Borough Council meeting tonight, November 14, states: "Rugby is the fastest growing town in the West Midlands and instead of seeing NHS services increase proportionally Rugby residents have experienced a year on year decline in the provision of local NHS services at St Cross Hospital.

"St Cross now only provides the most basic of emergency services, so patients with anything more serious than cuts and bruises will need to go to UHCW.

"Heart attacks, stokes, major trauma and the like all need a blue light ambulance service.

"Yet Rugby no longer has a local ambulance hub.

"We call on this council to make formal representation to the Clinical Commissioning Group and demand that an ambulance hub is reinstated in Rugby and fully resourced to meet the growing demands in Rugby.”

Cllr Brown told the Advertiser that she expects there will be cross-party support for the motion.

She said: "The issue is one that we hear all the time - Rugby is growing at such a rate that the resources we have got are being squeezed.

"I just think that people in Rugby are very vulnerable in this situation."

Plan to move stroke beds to Coventry could be good - but there must be enough ambulances to make it work

She spoke about the consultation which could ultimately see stroke beds in St Cross moved to University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW).

She said UHCW has the experts to deal with strokes, but if plans like this are to go ahead Rugbeians must be assured that there will be an adequate number of ambulances in Rugby to ensure they can get to treatment during the 'golden hour'.

Cllr Brown said she is not demanding all services are returned to St Cross, but added it would be good to see an A&E, maternity unit and a paediatric unit at the hospital.

"Let's start with this," she added.

Rugby is growing rapidly

Rugby Borough is one of the fastest growing areas in the UK - and that growth is set to continue with the passing of the borough's Local Plan earlier this year.

The plan paves the pay for 12,400 more homes in the borough by 2031.