3,000-signature petition over Longridge Community Hospital is presented to Parliament
The ICB claim the temporarily-relocated ward at Chorley Hospital is being well-received.
A petition calling for the reinstatement of inpatient beds at Longridge Community Hospital has been presented in Parliament.
On Tuesday evening, Ribble Valley MP Maya Ellis spoke in the House of Commons on behalf of campaigners fighting the temporary relocation of inpatient beds to Chorley Hospital - a trip that can involve four buses and four hours, not including visiting time.
Mrs Ellis said: “The petition calls for the government to direct NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board to commit to a full reopening of the hospital to provide health services to benefit the community.
“It also urges that fire safety concerns are promptly addressed and a timeline provided to reassure residents of when to expect a resolution to their concerns.
“The petition is backed by a paper petition and one online, totalling more than 3,000 names. This will now be printed in Hansard, the official report of all parliamentary debates, and sent to the relevant ministerial department for a response.”
The background
Last year the ward was temporarily reduced from 15 beds to five due to fire safety concerns. Although a programme of works was approved to upgrade the building, further inspections identified wider issues and in November, NHS partners decided to close the inpatient ward altogether “to ensure ongoing safety for our patients and colleagues”.
Longridge Community Hospital itself remains open with outpatient clinics continuing as normal and the inpatient ward -which is for patients who require either post-surgical care, medical care, rest and recuperation or palliative care - temporarily relocated to Chorley Hospital and named Longridge@Cuerden.
2-3 years
Bosses said: “There is a multiple stage process we must follow in any potential service change and this includes public engagement at every stage. This is a detailed process that can take 2-3 years and working closely with partners LSCFT and NHS Property Services, we will consider all options and the associated risks and benefits of each.”