2018 is a big year for Tetbury Hospital as it celebrates 25 years as a charitable trust. It has been delivering healthcare for 145 years, joining the NHS when it started and has been providing NHS services for 70 years.

It re-opened its doors on February 8, 1993 as a charity, after the town of Tetbury had raised £1,000,000 and saved the hospital from closure.

Tetbury Hospital is something of a miracle for had it not been for the herculean efforts of local people back in 1991 there would now be no NHS hospital services in the town today.

When Gloucestershire Health Authority proposed closing down Tetbury Hospital in 1988, thousands of residents protested. The town subsequently set up an action group and within a few months had prepared a plan under which an independent charitable trust would take over and run the hospital.

It wasn’t simply a matter of making the decision, the plan needed to be financed. Through a huge fund-raising project, the community raised over £1,000,000 and by February 1992 the town’s own Trust had taken over the running of the hospital; following a successful refurbishment the doors re-opened to serve its community on February 8, 1993.

Today, Tetbury Hospital Trust is a charity which receives payment from the NHS for patient treatments, though not for the upkeep of the building. The hospital’s survival depends on fund-raising and the generosity of local people.

The hospital serves Gloucestershire and Wiltshire with more than 40 consultants holding regular clinics. Facilities include a Day Surgery Unit with a state-of-the-art operating theatre, Outpatient Clinics, Minor Injuries Unit, Physiotherapy Unit and X-Ray Department. The hospital also provides accommodation for Tetbury Dental Practice.

A total of 97 per cent of the hospital’s services are delivered on behalf of the NHS but they also provide a range of private medical treatments.

The dermatology service is particularly well-respected amongst patients and their referring GPs. Waiting times for new patients are relatively short, and the friendly and approachable team are delighted that so many patients choose Tetbury following a recommendation. Last year the dermatology service grew to include phototherapy treatments.

Dr Tom Millard, Consultant Dermatologist, said: “A lot of hard work and careful planning has gone into setting up this service, which provides a unique combination of local dermatologist-led clinics and high quality plastic surgery.”

Cutting edge technology The hospital continues to invest in new technology and the Friends of Tetbury Hospital valiantly fundraise for new equipment. The hospital now has a ‘One-Stop Eye-Care Clinic’ which allows many more patients to be diagnosed and treated without the need to go to larger centres.

Chief Executive Zena Dalton said: “Investing in ophthalmology equipment is one area where the Friends of Tetbury Hospital have really made a huge difference. Having the equipment to improve or stop the deterioration of a person’s sight makes a positive contribution to their well-being in general. This has a positive knock-on effect to all aspects of their life, and that of their family and the wider community.”

The innovation doesn’t stop there, the hospital has many new and exciting projects underway to increase the services available locally to reduce the need to travel into the larger centres. This year they will be fundraising for a new procedure room.

Chairman Stephen Hirst is full of optimism for the future: “We have a first class record of investing in our hospital for the benefit of both patients and staff, this has to be a continuous process so that we continue to offer local first class medical facilities.”

The hospital would love to celebrate its success by capturing as much of its social history as possible and is on the lookout for photos to fill a display wall.

Staff would like to hear from anyone who has worked at the hospital, fundraised for it and those who have photos from its past to lighten up its display boards.

Post pictures and stories to the Chief Executive, Tetbury Hospital, Malmesbury Road, Tetbury GL8 8XB or email them to enquiries@tetburyhospital.co.uk with the subject line ’25 years’.

Unfortunately the team will not be able to return any photos sent by post.