Friends of Insch Hospital and Community SCIO

19/06/2026

🌺 Insch and District War Memorial Hospital is not simply an NHS building.

🕊️ It was built by the people of Insch and District as a memorial to those who gave their lives in the First World War. Opening in 1922, it later became part of the NHS in 1948, but it never lost its identity as a community built War Memorial Hospital.

That history matters.

For over a century, the hospital has served not only as a place of care, but as a lasting tribute to those who sacrificed so much. Many local families still have a personal connection to the names and memories it represents.

The building has also evolved through community support. A day room was added in the early 1970s, followed by an extension and additional day room in the early 1990s. Funding for these developments came from public donations, supported by the Friends of Insch Hospital and Community.

Today, these community spaces remain important parts of the building and are home to our much loved Wednesday Club, which recently celebrated its first birthday.

🤝 The Friends of Insch Hospital and Community, established in 1989, continue to play an active role in supporting the hospital and the wider community. While inpatient services were suspended at the start of the pandemic, the Friends remain committed to working with the community and stakeholders to see services restored and the hospital once again fulfil the role for which it was built.

🚑 On Friday 3rd July, our community will come together for “The Hurl for the Hospital” - an emergency vehicle run leaving from Insch and District War Memorial Hospital, showing the strength of local support for its future - see comments for info.

As discussions continue about the future of services and the building itself, the current AHSCP consultation gives our community an opportunity to have its voice heard.

📢 When completing the survey, we encourage everyone to consider the potential impact on individuals, families and the wider community if inpatient services are permanently lost. This is about more than a building - it is about access to care, support closer to home, and the effect that reduced local healthcare provision could have on people across our community.

We encourage everyone to take the time to understand the proposals, consider what they could mean for local healthcare in the future, and take part in the survey.

📢 Have your say here: https://engage.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/insch-hospital

The future of Insch and District War Memorial Hospital matters - not only because of the services it has provided, but because of what it represents to generations of local people.

This is more than an NHS asset. It is a memorial, a community legacy and an important part of our local heritage.

The people of Insch and District built this hospital in memory of those who never came home. We owe it to them, and to future generations, to ensure that legacy is respected.

❤️ Healthcare. Heritage. Remembrance. Community.

18/06/2026

🚨 THE HURL FOR THE HOSPITAL 🚨

Calling all owners of vintage, classic and unusual vehicles, as well as modern tractors – we need your support!

The Friends of Insch Hospital and Community are organising an EMERGENCY vehicle run to raise awareness of the plight of Insch & District War Memorial Hospital and send a clear message to local health authorities and the Scottish Government that our community will not stand by while rural healthcare services continue to be eroded.

This is about more than one hospital. It is about protecting access to healthcare in rural communities and ensuring that local people can receive care closer to home when they need it most. We believe rural communities deserve fair access to healthcare, and we will continue to stand up for the services our communities rely on.

📅 Friday 3rd July
📍 Hospital Field, Rannes Street, Insch
⏰ Arrive from 6.00pm
🚗 Vehicle Run departs at 7.30pm

No registration is required – simply bring your vehicle along and join us. Feel free to decorate your vehicle in support of our local hospital.

📝 Consultation survey forms will be available on the evening, and members of the Friends of Insch Hospital and Community will be on hand before the run to help anyone who would like assistance completing a response. This is an opportunity to make your views known about the future of healthcare services in our area and ensure your voice is heard.

🥁 The Drums and Pipes of the Gordon Highlanders will lead the procession from the field in support of Insch & District War Memorial Hospital.

The full route and details of the villages the run will pass through will be announced nearer the date and will also be available on the evening.

Please share widely and help us make this a memorable show of support for our War Memorial Hospital and for rural healthcare services across our area.

📢 We are not giving up. We will continue to campaign for the healthcare services our communities need, deserve and were promised.

17/06/2026

🏥 A thought worth considering when completing the survey...

When inpatient services at Insch Hospital closed, our community lost more than healthcare services in a much loved War Memorial Hospital. We lost access to a range of local healthcare services, including 11 inpatient beds, the Minor Injuries Unit, and the ability to provide inpatient palliative care within our own community.

Many people have adapted over the last few years because they had no choice. But it's worth asking ourselves:

❓ How many journeys to Aberdeen, Inverurie or Huntly might have been avoided if these services were still available locally?

❓ How many patients could have received care closer to home?

❓ How much easier would it have been for family and friends to visit loved ones receiving care in their own community?

❓ What difference does local healthcare make when people are at their most vulnerable?

❓ What difference does it make to families when end-of-life care can be provided within their own community, rather than further away from home?

Healthcare services often feel most important when we suddenly need them. The impact of losing local services can be easy to overlook until it affects us or someone we care about.

As you complete the survey, please take a moment to reflect on the full range of services that were available at Insch Hospital and what their loss has meant for patients, families and the wider community.

📝 Every response matters. Please make your voice heard.

15/06/2026

⚠️ Don't regret not speaking up later.

📝 Have your say.

📢 Watch this space for details of our upcoming community drop-in session.

🏥 Your Family's Future Healthcare Could Depend on Whether You Speak Up Now 👪

THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT TODAY.

It's about the future of healthcare in our community.

The choices made now could have a BIG IMPACT on local services, local families and future generations.

28 miles.
56 miles round trip.
At least 41 minutes driving to Aberdeen.

And that's without traffic, roadworks, winter weather or finding a parking space.

On an ordinary day, those may just seem like numbers.

But for families travelling to visit a loved one in hospital, support someone receiving palliative care, or be there when it matters most, those miles can make all the difference.

It is often said that there are always community beds available locally.

But for many families, the reality has been different — with care sometimes only available further away, at the very time they most need it close to home.

When completing the survey, think about the impact these changes are having today - and the impact they could have on our community in the years ahead.

Make your voice count - link to survey in comments.

14/06/2026

THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT TODAY.

It's about the future of healthcare in our community.

The choices made now could have a BIG IMPACT on local services, local families and future generations.

28 miles.
56 miles round trip.
At least 41 minutes driving to Aberdeen.

And that's without traffic, roadworks, winter weather or finding a parking space.

On an ordinary day, those may just seem like numbers.

But for families travelling to visit a loved one in hospital, support someone receiving palliative care, or be there when it matters most, those miles can make all the difference.

It is often said that there are always community beds available locally.

But for many families, the reality has been different — with care sometimes only available further away, at the very time they most need it close to home.

When completing the survey, think about the impact these changes are having today - and the impact they could have on our community in the years ahead.

Make your voice count.

10/06/2026

Strawberry Fair 2026 Sunshine, smiles and strawberries! 🍓☀️

Thank you to everyone who helped make Sunday’s Strawberry Fair such a brilliant day. Enjoy some of the highlights!

And a huge thank you to Ray Allan of Simple Wedding Films who always captures the day so beautifully and produced this wonderful video ♥️

10/06/2026

We were absolutely delighted to receive these handmade games of Jenga and Kerplunk from the local Men's Shed for our Wednesday Club. The Men's Shed has been so supportive of our club and it is very much appreciated.

Very apt to receive these on the day that we hosted a wonderful birthday party 🎉 🎈for all the members to celebrate 1 year of the Wednesday Club.
A wonderful afternoon was had with delicious food provided by Kerry's Katering 🧁🥪🍓 and tasty mocktails whipped up by our very own Laura.🍹🍸🍹🍸 Plus games and music with Bryan Stanger on the accordion 🪗

The club meets weekly in the hospital Day Room and is aimed at those with early to mid-stage dementia. Members can attend with or without a family member and enjoy a relaxed, welcoming environment focused on social activities, trying new things, building friendships, and most importantly – having fun. The sessions are run by a fantastic team of staff and volunteers, with the emphasis always on enjoyment and inclusion.
For more information, please email [email protected] or call 07476 259932.

10/06/2026

📢 We agree.

After 6 years of Strategic Needs Assessments, meetings, workshops, project groups and engagement involving NHS Grampian, AHSCP, the IJB, Healthcare Improvement Scotland and the Scottish Government, we are once again being asked for our views.

The question many in our community are asking is: WHEN will they listen???

These were never "just beds". They were community hospital beds that provided care closer to home, supported families and made a real difference to local people. The facility also includes a dedicated palliative care suite, offering compassionate care and support when it is needed most.

We are often told that community beds remain available elsewhere. However, for some families, those beds are not local at all!

When patients are placed many miles from home, limited public transport and long travel times can make visiting incredibly difficult. Families can be left spending hours on the road or, in some cases, unable to visit as often as they would wish.

No one should face illness, frailty or end-of-life care separated from the people who love and support them because there is no suitable bed available closer to home.

Care close to home matters. It matters to patients, it matters to families, and it matters to our community.

⚖️ Meanwhile, other community hospitals facing similar challenges were not subjected to years of assessments, uncertainty and repeated consultation. In some cases, communities refused to participate in a Strategic Needs Assessment process and were not required to do so, with their inpatient services remaining open.

Many local people feel that Insch has been used as a test case for a process that has evolved over time. We have seen approaches change, lessons learned and mistakes acknowledged, yet our community has borne the burden of six years of uncertainty.

Unlike some communities that refused to participate in a Strategic Needs Assessment process, the people of Insch engaged fully and constructively. They attended meetings, completed surveys, took part in workshops and shared their experiences over a period of six LONG years.

Having repeatedly participated in good faith, our community is entitled to ask a simple question WHEN will those voices finally be listened to?

📣 The people of Insch have made their views clear time and time again. Our community deserves to be heard.

Please LISTEN to the voices of the people who use, value and rely on these services.

09/06/2026

🚨 PLEASE READ 🚨

We are disappointed to see information being presented which we believe does not provide the full picture regarding the closure of the inpatient ward at Insch Hospital.

⚠️ There are important facts, context and local experiences that we feel should be considered as part of this discussion.

As this consultation has only recently been brought to our attention, we will share further information as soon as we can to help ensure the community is fully informed and able to respond based on accurate and complete information.

📄 In the meantime, please take a moment to read the statement from The Friends of Insch Hospital, which was distributed at Strawberry Fair.

📢 Please read, share and make your voice heard.
💛 Our hospital matters.

https://engage.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/insch-hospital

08/06/2026

🚨 PLEASE READ 🚨

We are disappointed to see information being presented which we believe does not provide the full picture regarding the closure of the inpatient wards at Insch Hospital.

⚠️ There are important facts, context and local experiences that we feel should be considered as part of this discussion.

As this consultation has only recently been brought to our attention, we will share further information as soon as we can to help ensure the community is fully informed and able to respond based on accurate and complete information.

📄 In the meantime, please take a moment to read the statement (in comments) from The Friends of Insch Hospital, which was distributed at Strawberry Fair.

📢 Please read, share and make your voice heard.
💛 Our hospital matters.

The inpatient ward at Insch Hospital was temporarily closed in early 2020 as part of the wider response to the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, five inpatient beds were in use this was due to ongoing recruitment difficulties and concerns about the safe evacuation of patients in the event of a fire.

We are now seeking views to help us understand what impact a potential decision to permanently close the inpatient service and a potential subsequent decision to declare the building surplus to the IJB’s requirement, may have on individuals, families and the wider community.

Link to the survey and further information in the comments ⬇⬇⬇

NHS Grampian Aberdeenshire Council