A NEW hospital for the Forest should be located near the A48 — where two potential sites are already available — say the Friends of Lydney Hospital.

They say that the accessibility of sites along the main road and the planned increase in population around Lydney make a strong case for siting the £11 million replacement of Lydney and the Dilke hospitals in the ‘south’ of the Forest.

But there is concern that the group has had no “formal” invitation to address the panel which will make a recommendation to health chiefs about the location of a new hospital.

The deadline for local people to apply for 18 spots to sit alongside four local healthcare professionals on the citizen’s jury passed on Sunday (April 22).

But the man organising the panel says while there has been no ‘formal’ approach to the group, there has been communication with the Friends and it will be able to present its views to the jury.

It will sit for three and half days in the summer to hear evidence before making a recommendation on the location — Cinderford, Coleford or Lydney — to the Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust and the Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group.

The Friends group says it has ‘reluctantly’ accepted the case for a new facility to replace Lydney Hospital and the Dilke.

The Friends of the Dilke says unless health chiefs look at the background again, the new hospital risks being not fit purpose.

Hands Off Lydney and the Dilke is crowdfunding a judicial review of the decision to replace the two hospitals.

The Friends say there is a strong case for the new hospital to be located near the A48 and that two potential sites have been made available.

“The Forest is not blessed with an easy road infrastructure, it does, however, have one major corridor and that is the A48

“Many roads in the Forest feed into the A48...minimising travel time for both patients and staff and onward transport for urgent cases to both Gloucester and Bristol.

“The Friends are aware that two suitable sites have been generously made available, both having direct access to the A48 and having suitable planning allocations.”

They say that although more people use Lydney Hospital for the minor injuries unit and outpatients appointments, the issue of the number of beds — the trust says there will be a minimum of 24 — remains important.

“The Friends continue to make representations to the NHS that 36 beds are the absolute minimum provision for the Forest of Dean.”

They added: “The Friends of Lydney Hospital reluctantly accepted the argument that a single hospital would provide new services for all the population but remain committed to ensuring that the new provision is fit for future generations.

“Let’s make sure that we don’t miss the opportunity to locate the hospital to match the population and the road network.”

But the Friends also say the process being run by community interest company Citizens’ Juries “is in danger of stepping outside good practice” if the Friends groups at Lydney and the Dilke are left out.

In a letter to the Review, the group says: “While the Friends had, preceding and during the consultation, enjoyed good communication with Gloucestershire Care Services, we have not heard anything formally from Citizens’ Juries.

“We feel this is a breakdown in the process and are very concerned that there is inadequate time to manage this major decision.”

Dr Malcolm Oswald, of Citizens’ Juries, said the League of Friends would be among those who make a presentation to the jury although that could be jointly with the town council to ensure parity for Coleford which does not have an equivalent organisation.

He said he had been told the former chief executive of Gloucestershire Care Services, Katie Norman, had given a commitment to the Friends that they would be able to make a presentation.

He added: “I would need a pretty good reason for them not to be able to make a presentation.

“The League of Friends will make a presentation to the jury.”