Lessons from Chorley Hospital's accident and emergency unit closure

The closure of Chorley Hospital's accident and emergency department on April 18 has affected the entire county, says a leading councillor.
Coun Steve HolgateCoun Steve Holgate
Coun Steve Holgate

Coun Steve Holgate, Chairman of the county council’s health scrutiny committee presented a special report on the hospital’s staffing crisis to Lancashire’s Health and Wellbeing Board today with a warning that: “It became apparent it’s far more than a Chorley issue - it’s a Lancashire wide issue.”

He said by closing the Chorley unit, which usually saw 50,000 people a year, it meant that hospitals across Lancashire and even in North Manchester had been working to capacity and this would have a knock on effect on performance.

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Coun Holgate stressed any shake up in health provision across the county, as part of forthcoming transformation plans, must ensure there is adequate staffing for emergency care and urgent care centres and the Board should have a key role in this.

The Board has now promised to give its views on the report and the role it could play in averting future crises by November 22.