Settle has a Hospital Once Again

One of the very few disadvantages of life in Settle is that it does not have a hospital.  It used to have two although one, Harden Bridge, was what used to be called an isolation hospital - now long since closed.   The other, Castleberg was a convalescent hospital - cum hospice.   It closed some years ago when its roof was deemed to be in need of renewal and it did not fit in with the scheme of things in the modern NHS.   This sparked a series of 'consultations' and a growing realisation that Settle's size and location made it somewhat different.   The case for what was once called a cottage hospital was strong and passions were running high.

Today we went to the pre-opening public showing of a fully refurbished ten-bed Castleberg Hospital.  A mighty fine job has been done on it too.   Had it been open and available my stay in a high dependency bed at the Preston Royal Hospital could have been shorter.  I could have transferred to Settle's Castleberg and have received the on-site physiotherapy and rehabilitation I needed whilst releasing an emergency bed at Preston.

Here's the main entrance.   The outside respects the history of the building - it was once Settle's workhouse.   Inside though it is of the very latest fit-out and facilities.  This is the Physiotherapy room:

Complete with skeleton, of course.  I enquired if the skeleton yet had a name.  Surprisingly it did not.   I suggested Boris and this received unanimous approval

The building is much bigger than the first photograph suggests so it has 'zones' just like big hospitals.  Here's one of the corridors:

Like the saving of Settle's railway from closure this is a massive result for people-power, expressed with conviction, common sense and politeness.