TOWN residents remain hopeful that beds might return to a new hospital after parliamentary petition.

Beds For Badger, a campaign group focused on the successful return of in-patient beds to Ellen Badger Hospital, are looking forward to "meaningful discussions" with beginner MP Manuela Perteghella onboard. 

The removal of the beds caused uproar according to the group after South Warwickshire Development Trust announced their decision to keep the beds in Leamington Spa in May 2023. 

The Beds were moved to Leamington in January 2022 when the hospital closed. However, the decision to keep the beds out of Shipston once the new hospital has been built has been questioned with concerns over the areas increasing and aging population. 

The petition is currently circulating around Shipston and the surrounding villages and will be presented to the MP on November 16. 

John Dinne, mayor of Shipston and deputy chairman of Beds for Badger, said: "The issue has been going on since the old hospital was knocked down nearly two years ago. 

"Ever since SWDT announced that the beds would be staying in Leamington Spa there has been grumblings, complaints, unrest, protests and meetings. 

"Recently we got in touch with our lovely new MP and she said it was also something she had been worried about for some time and so she said she would put forward a parliamentary petition to ask SWFT and the ICB to look at it again."

Ms Perteghella hopes to hand the petition to Wes Streeting, the Secretary of State for Health & Social Care, before Parliament breaks for Christmas.

Back when the decision was announced the Adult Health Scrutiny Committee at Warwickshire County Council agreed that it was a major change and required a public consultation according to the group. 

The group now say the ICB will be holding a six-week public consultation in January 2025.

Mr Dinnie continued: "Hopefully the petition will go further than before and we will be able to have some meaningful discussion towards bringing beds back to Ellen Badger Hospital. 

"There are as many reasons as people living in rural South Warwickshire as to why we need beds in Shipston. 

"But broadly the population is increasing faster than just about any other area in the county and the age profile is getting older. 

"There's no bus service to Leamington Spa and nothing in the way of public transport but its also clear that having friends and family able to visit helps people to make a better recovery."

According to the ICB a decision should be reached by March 2025. 

Ms Perteghella said: "Community hospitals are vital to the communities they serve, particularly in rural areas.

"The Ellen Badger has served Shipston for over 125 years, SWFT seems to have decided, with little meaningful consultation with residents, that it will continue as a hospital in name only.

“This decision is a financial and medical disaster for Shipston residents, and I will be receiving a constituents' petition to keep the in-patient beds at the Ellen Badger which I will present in Parliament.”