THE MEMORIAL CARE CENTRE AT RYE CELEBRATES IT’S FIFTH ‘BIRTHDAY’

A few weeks ago, ninety-one year old Gladys Barnes became the 1,000th in-patient to be cared for by the Memorial Care Centre at Rye. This event very happily coincided with the fifth anniversary of the opening of the Centre.

The background to the Care Centre is very special; the old Memorial Hospital had stood on the site at Rye since 1921, but when the future of this hospital was reviewed in the 1980s the people of Rye were not able to persuade the local Health Authority or the Minister of State to keep it open and in 1991 it was closed. By that time it had fallen into a state of dreadful disrepair, and was no longer able to provide the standards of health care for which it had for so long been renowned. There followed what is surely one of the most determined, dedicated and hard-fought campaigns in local history; local residents, including Sir Paul McCartney and his late wife Linda, played a prominent role in the campaign. A Steering Committee commissioned a very detailed report, which, in conjunction with changes in policy relating to care in the community and an incredibly successful fundraising initiative by the people of the area, culminated in the building of the present Memorial Care Centre.

The Care Centre was built on the same site as the old Hospital, with a partially retained façade and elevations which tried to remain faithful to those of the old building. Officially opened by HRH Princess Margaret in November 1995, it has gone from strength to strength. When it opened it had 15 beds, the same capacity as the old Hospital; however, in April 1998 a further 4 beds were added. In the first two years a total of more than 7,000 out-patient appointments were kept; now, more than 7,500 out-patient appointments per year are being attended. Eleven Consultants have clinics here, and the Friary Day Centre on site provides invaluable support for carers and clients, and is open 365 days a year. Social Services, Community Nurses and the SEADOC service [South East Area Doctors On Call] add a further range of health and community care services to those already here, and the Memorial Care Centre is quite properly regarded as a centre of excellence.

The funding of the Care Centre is also quite unusual; despite the professional and financial support received in the Medical Wing by Hastings and Rother NHS Trust, the long-term future of the Centre cannot be ensured without the continued support and generosity of the local community through fundraising. The Centre is unique in that its buildings are owned by Rye Health and Care Ltd, a local registered charity, so the Centre is truly owned by the community for the community. It serves a huge area of rural Rother; without it, local residents would have to travel to the Conquest DGH at Hastings, some fifteen miles away and difficult to reach by public transport.

Challenge Issue 31 - Winter 2000