COMMUNITY hospital buildings across the county are struggling to cope with the demands of the modern day NHS, according to a leading health campaigner.

Figures for 2009-2010 supplied by the Department of Health show that 17 per cent of the NHS estate which is occupied is deemed “not functionally suitable”.

The assessment is not about building safety, but focuses on fixtures and fittings, heat, water and power supplies, and whether there is enough space for beds and storage.

NHS statistics showed 88 per cent of buildings and facilities run by NHS Oxfordshire were not functionally suitable, while at Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust the figure was 48.6 per cent.

Peter Skolar, chairman of Oxfordshire’s joint health overview and scrutiny committee, said community hospitals in Chipping Norton, Bicester, Wallingford and Wantage, and Townlands community hospital in Henley, had old buildings which were no longer suitable for modern healthcare.

He said: “Some of the buildings date back to Victorian times and are not what you would call fit for 21st century medicine.

“A new hospital is being built at Chipping Norton and improvements are planned for Henley and Bicester, but there doesn’t appear to be a timeframe for improvements at community hospitals like Wantage and Wallingford.

“We will keep the pressure on the primary care trust to bring improvements because PCTs are due to be disbanded in 2013 and GPs will not want the same responsibilities.”

NHS Oxfordshire spokesman Jo Wilkes said information was not yet available about plans for Wantage and Wallingford.

She said: “Each year NHS Oxfordshire uses its capital programme to make improvements in our community hospitals.

“As well as making sure we address statutory and safety standards, we also specifically prioritise issues such as infection control and single sex accommodation.

“In addition to the capital programme, NHS Oxfordshire is in the middle of a community hospital improvement programme. The City Community Hospital has relocated to newly-refurbished accommodation at the John Radcliffe site in Oxford, and the Chipping Norton Community Hospital will be in purpose-built premises by the end of February.

“There are also plans to procure new facilities at Bicester Community Hospital and Townlands in Henley.”

Adam Joyce, press officer for the Department of Health, said: “The situation in the NHS regarding functional suitability has improved, but making further improvements through better use of existing assets will be a fundamental part of the NHS drive to improve efficiency.

“Functional suitability is under constant review as services develop. Trusts must seize the opportunity to make the best decisions for their patients and decide locally on how to become more efficient.

“This includes cutting out wasteful spending and focusing on patient outcomes.”

Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust spokesman Laura Carpenter said: “The buildings that make up our estate range from some built in the late 19th century right up to the newest buildings like the Oxford Cancer Centre at the Churchill Hospital, the Oxford Heart Centre at the JR which opened in 2009, and the refurbished Brodey Centre at the Horton Hospital in Banbury.

“The figures which show the trust as having 48.64 per cent of buildings ‘not functionally suitable’ refer to how usable they are for staff and patients.

“The percentage does not reflect the structural quality of the buildings themselves, but how they meet current standards for functionality.

“Inevitably, facilities built over 60 years ago will be less able to meet the standards and requirements of 21st century medicine than more recent buildings.”