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Item one at RCN Congress 2006 demanded that we give more support to members who are striving to retain and develop the services of community hospitals. The Community Hospitals Toolkit aims to give those members and others involved in campaigns of this nature an additional resource to support their efforts.

Seeking to retain and develop community hospitals and their services is a complex process that requires co-operation and collective work by staff, activists, politicians and the communities that they serve. Closure plans will always provoke emotional responses from communities that value the services that they have understood and depended upon for many years, sometimes for generations. Opposing change on an emotional basis is impossible in a healthcare and political environment where efficiency and clinical outcomes are of public services. However, this toolkit sets out to demonstrate that there are a number of issues and arguments that can be marshaled in support of retaining and developing community hospital services as cost-effective and clinically credible alternatives to, or extensions of, regional and district NHS services.

For further information, please email papa.ukintl.dept@rcn.org.uk