One year on and no signs of Chorley A&E reopening full-time

A year on from Chorley A&E reopening part-time there are still no signs that it will reopen around the clock.
Protesters continue to make their presence known outside Chorley A&EProtesters continue to make their presence known outside Chorley A&E
Protesters continue to make their presence known outside Chorley A&E

Campaigners who want to see the accident and emergency unit at Chorley and South Ribble District General Hospital reopen full-time are nearing their 100th week of campaigning.

The unit, which was closed in April 2016 for nine months due to a staff shortage, reopened part-time on January 18, 2017.

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But campaigners can still be seen outside the hospital every Saturday morning holding placards in their yellow campaign gear pushing for an around the clock service.

A spokesman from Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust said: “It remains the case that we do not have sufficient doctors to safely staff the emergency department at Chorley, 24 hours a day.

“There is still a national shortage of emergency medicine doctors, however extensive recruitment activities are ongoing.”

Jenny Hurley, who has been involved in the protect Chorley hospital from cuts and privatisation campaign since the A&E unit was closed, said: “There’s no news on it whatsoever.

“We doubt its going to reopened full-time at this stage.

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“We think that there’s more that can be done to get doctors and nurses in despite the national statistics.”

In 2016 when Chorley A&E was shut it was downgraded to an urgent care service, prompting protests.

The unit is now open for 12 hours a day, from 8am until 8pm, and runs alongside the 24-hour urgent care centre.

Campaigners will mark their 100th week of protests on Saturday, March 10