I wonder if anyone is aware of the history of some of the main facilities at Victoria Infirmary.

It had a very small minor injuries unit until the integrated care unit was built at great expense some years ago and was one of the first, if not, the first in the country.

The experiment worked and it became a highly used one stop shop for the people of Northwich and surrounding areas.

The physiotherapy department was built and opened in 1988/89 which included a stunning gym with lots of equipment bought from patients fundraising over the past 25 years and a pool that is the envy of most other NHS and private health facilities.

The pysio dept and hydrotherapy pool were originally at Oakmere Hall as part of the miner’s rehabilitation centre and was gifted to the people of Northwich and surrounding areas to be used for rehab and chronic conditions via the then Crewe Area Health Authority.

There was a clause in this contract that if this site was ever sold then the health authority must provide equal or better facilities for the people which is why the facility was then built at VIN in the mid 1980s as Oakmere Hall was sold to developers for building.

This in turn saved VIN from being closed down then.

I now wonder whether this clause still applies and that all the fantastic facilities at Northwich Infirmary will be transferred as a whole to a more suitable site.

Losing these facilities would be not only a massive blow to the town but an insult to the people who have worked so hard to make it what it is and has been through fundraising and public campaigns like SONIC in 2010.

Do not allow Victoria Infirmary to be diluted or closed without closer consideration of the serious ramifications to the people of Northwich and outlying areas.

Glynis Noden Previous employee VIN