The threat to our local Abingdon Comunity Hospital keeps returning. The headines in the Abingdon Herald have revealed recently that there are still plans to try to downgrade it to a day centre in 2006. There was a similar threat in 1998, amd 2004. Both times the threat was fought off by local protests.

The earliest Abingdon Cottage hospital was opened in Bath Street in 1886, thanks to John Cremar-Clarke, the owner of the Clarkes Clothes factory, and the local MP (Member of Parliament). It had 12 beds.

The current hospital has 42 beds, a minor injuries unit, a day centre, and various clinics. Many of its users, and their visitors are elderly, and so it is still good to have something local. It is something inbetween the intensive and expensive care at the John Radcliffe (JR) Hospital in Oxford, and care at home.

And so yet again we will fight the big central money pot for a vital part of our community to keep it local.