Concern grows over A&E closure plans

Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate for South Ribble is demanding a 24-hour service for the area.

Kim Snape (pictured)has spoken out in anger at the announcement a single A&E could cover the Chorley, Preston and South Ribble areas.

The A&E department at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital has been operating on a 12 hour basis for over 18 months following closure in 2016.

Under the banner of ‘Our Health our Care’ a number of options are proposed to be put forward in a consultation in January 2019, including the proposal for one A&E for the Central Lancashire area.

Ms Snape said: “I am absolutely appalled. What is the point in a consultation if the public are only asked to respond to certain proposals?

“This has to be a fair and open consultation with all alternatives on the table for the public to respond to.”

She added: “I am further aghast that this proposal itself is even being considered.

“Both Chorley and South Ribble are two of the fastest-growing places in the country. So why are proposals being considered to reduce our services? This is about lives.”

An “urgent” meeting has been called by campaigners demanding the reinstatement of a 24-hour Accident and Emergency department at Chorley.

Steve Turner, chair of Protect Chorley Hospital from Cuts and Privatisation, says the campaign is at “a crossroads”.

The meeting is on Tuesday 28th August at 7pm at St. Joseph’s Club in Harper’s Lane in Chorley.