Work began this week in clearing the ground for the new Abbey play area, and so the old play area, tennis courts and mini golf are being dug up.
The red rocking horse is the one piece of playground equipment that survived when the play area moved from the Abbey Gardens to the current location, and should still find a place alongside all the new equipment.
The new play area is expected to be open early summer (weather permitting).
Later in 2017 new public toilets, changing facilities and an accessible pathway will be installed.
It will be nice for the play area to have a refurb. I thought it was important to let everyone know that Oxfordshires NHS are planning cuts to save millions of pounds. The public consultation date for Abingdon is Thursday March 23rd between 6.30pm and 8.30pm. My sister works for a minor injury unit in Cornwall and said that it is rumoured that the same is happening there and there are plans to close all the minor injury units. She said that local units treat thousands of people every year. If they closed thousand more people will have to go to the A & E department in large hospitals which are in crisis as it is. They say that more people will be treated at home. I should let you know what that means. My friend is 85 with mobility problems. She lives in central Abingdon. Before Christmas her elderly husband became very ill and was taken to the John Radcliffe. She receive a phone call to say that he was being sent home. Her daughter said that her mother could not cope with him at home. They said that she would have help 2 time a day and he was brought home by an ambulance and dumped. They lied. No help arrived. Luckily 2 weeks later a bed was found at Abingdon hospital where he subsequently passed away. My 85 year old friend was caused distress as she could not cope herself let alone care for a dying man
People in Abingdon should be vigilant as to what the NHS cuts mean..
Janet – That is a worrying anecdote that would concern most of us.
However we, as you say, need to hear what the healthcare leaders are proposing before we jump to conclusions. I do think you have somewhat jumped the gun on this and assumed that any change is bad. This immediate negativity cannot be supportive and will not, I feel, help rational decisions to be made.
If the proposals restrict access for those most needy and vulnerable, then this needs to resisted in the strongest terms. If the proposals are changes that are well thought out, evidenced based and benefiting the majority, then I feel we owe it to those proposing the change to listen and support them.
The consultation documents I have read make no reference to either A&E,community hospital or primary care services, meaning that by default these are out of scope and are not being proposed to change.