Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has decided to close King's Mill Hospital's hydrotherapy pool in Nottinghamshire, offering land-based therapies instead as it seeks £35m in savings for 2026/27. A petition to keep it open has more than 2,300 signatures.
Steve Walmsley, 64, said the heated pool helps him exercise without the pain he experiences on land and that his walking distance has increased from about 50–60ft to 100ft. Rebecca Smart said it had improved her quality of life while she manages fibromyalgia and hypermobility syndrome.
The trust said the closure followed a detailed service review and it would focus on evidence-based alternatives. It did not say how many people use the pool, but said everyone would be able to finish treatment before it closes. Labour MP Steve Yemm and Reform MP Lee Anderson met trust leaders to discuss the decision.
