VOLUNTEERS who raise money to support the work of Cossham Hospital say they have been stopped from flying the Union flag – on a pole they paid for.
The League of Friends of Cossham Hospital fundraise to pay for equipment for the hospital in Lodge Road, Kingswood, which provides outpatient services for thousands of people across South Gloucestershire and East Bristol.
The group paid for the pole to be erected on the hospital’s roof following a major refurbishment that was completed in 2013, and says flags have been flown at the site for 60 years.
The volunteers allowed patients, visitors and other supporters to have the Union flag flown with a corresponding dedication posted at the hospital’s reception, marking anniversaries, birthdays, memorials and other personal events, in return for a £5 donation.
League of Friends chair Margaret Nolder says the flag sponsorship has raised more than £1,100 for the hospital over the past six years.
But when the rope used to raise and lower the flag broke over the winter they were told by North Bristol NHS Trust that it could not be replaced on safety grounds.
And when Margaret put up a flag in the window of the cafe run by the League of Friends, as a substitute, she says she was told to take it down by management.
Margaret says she was told a patient and a staff member had complained – but says many visitors, patients and staff are “up in arms” that the flag isn’t flying.
She said: “We paid for the pole and it’s such a landmark – it’s the highest point in Bristol.
“We’re non-political and the flag is used to celebrate or remember people.
“If there’s a problem with health and safety on the roof we’re prepared to pay to have a new flagpole installed on the ground.
“I’ve now been sent a memo saying the flag can only be flown on the monarch’s birthday, state funerals or Remembrance Day.
“It’s political correctness – there’s never been any complaints before.”
The group, which has 68 volunteers, has spent more than £200,000 on equipment for the hospital over the past eight years, also raising money through its cafe, Christmas sales, donations and legacies.
Bristol North East Damien Egan MP, whose constituency includes the hospital, has written to the trust to raise the League’s concerns.
A trust spokesperson said: “We hugely appreciate the ongoing hard work, dedication and support Cossham League of Friends and their volunteers provide to Cossham Hospital and our patients and colleagues.
“Serious safety concerns around accessing the existing flagpole, which is located on the roof of Cossham Hospital, mean that it is no longer suitable for use.
“At NBT we have a protocol that outlines the occasions on which we display flags on our hospital flag poles.
“We recognise the long history of Cossham League of Friends using the flagpole outside of official occasions as part of fundraising efforts and are working closely with the group on how we continue to mark this tradition whilst ensuring the safety of our colleagues and their volunteers.”
Birth centre stays shut
MORE than three and a half years after Cossham Birth Centre announced a temporary closure, there is no date for its reopening.
A decision on its future looks set to be further delayed while health chiefs work out how to bring together hospital services across Bristol.
North Bristol NHS Trust continues to run antenatal and postnatal services at the unit – but no babies have been born there since October 2022.
The birth centre proved popular with prospective parents after opened in 2013, but had to shut for spells in 2018 and 2021 because of a shortage of midwives.
Staffing challenges at NBT’s maternity unit at Southmead Hospital were also given as the reason for the latest closure, and the trust has not given an update since May 2024.
MPs Kerry McCarthy and Damien Egan called two years ago for the birth centre to reopen.
Since then, however, NBT and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust have begun working towards a merger as Bristol NHS Group, which is expected to be finalised this summer.
Services that are provided by both trusts, such as maternity, are being integrated in what the trusts call Group Clinical Services development.
Bristol NHS Group chief nursing and improvement officer Professor Steve Hams said: “Cossham Birth Centre remains an integral part of our long-term vision for women’s health – including as part of our Group Clinical Services development – ensuring the very best care and experience possible for those using our service.
“We provide a range of services at Cossham, including community appointments, breastfeeding support, and both antenatal and postnatal care, ensuring compassionate guidance and continuity throughout every stage of the maternity journey.
“Women continue to have access to a range of birth options, including midwife-led care alongside obstetric support at Southmead Hospital, as well as a dedicated home birth service.”