Last updated: 13 March 2026
We now know the results of the Shaping Care Together Joint Committee consultation: that A&E services will be co-located at Southport Hospital. I’m incredibly disappointed at this outcome and I know constituents across West Lancashire will feel the same way.
I do not believe that this decision is in the best interests of the local community. Therefore, I will be writing to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and asking him to ‘call-in’ this decision.
This means I am asking him to take a second look at this decision and consider reversing it.
The independent report on the consultation clearly stated that “across nearly all questions, the Ormskirk option is viewed more positively by the overall respondent population”. I do not believe that A&E services being co-located at Southport is in the best interests of West Lancashire residents.
My position has always been clear:
Having spoken to many constituents about this issue as your Member of Parliament, I believe people in West Lancashire would be best served by A&E services being co-located and at Ormskirk Hospital.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is making the decision on the future of A&E services?
The decision was made by the Shaping Care Together Joint Committee and was announced in a public meeting on Friday 13 March.
The Shaping Care Together Joint Committee is a committee of NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB and NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB. The Committee is responsible for making key decisions for the Shaping Care Together programme.
You were a Health Minister, were you able to secure the co-location of A&E services at Ormskirk Hospital?
Until 2 March 2026, I was a Health Minister. Following the 13-week public consultation held last year, the decision on the future of A&E services in West Lancashire is being made by the Joint Committee of the Shaping Care Together Programme. There is no role for councillors, MPs, or ministers in this decision-making process.
Government Ministers are not able to influence that decision, and it would not be appropriate for them to do so. This decision is for the SCTJC to make.
As your MP for West Lancashire, and having spoken to constituents about what they want from local A&E services, I am strongly in favour of A&E services being co-located at Ormskirk Hospital.
Throughout the consultation, I:
- Submitted a response to the consultation outlining that I am strongly in favour of A&E services being co-located at Ormskirk Hospital.
- Attended multiple meetings to represent the views of my constituents, based on what I have heard from them.
- Encouraged constituents to share their views and complete the consultation
- Posted about the consultation numerous times on social media to share updates and encourage constituents to attend meetings and respond to the consultation.
- Was interviewed on BBC Lancashire to share my views.
Why did you not ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to call this decision in earlier?
The guidance requires attempts to resolve the problem locally be exhausted first – this was the consultation process. The decision that has now been taken by the SCTJC demonstrates that this process has failed to resolve the conflict of opinion, which is why I am now asking the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to call this in.
What is Shaping Care Together?
SCT is a health and care transformation programme operating across Southport, Formby and West Lancashire. This partnership programme is supported by Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB and NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB.
Its aim is to improve the quality of care for local residents by exploring new ways of delivering services and utilising staff, money and buildings to maximum effect.
What is an ICB?
Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) are NHS organisations responsible for planning health services for their local population. They manage the NHS budget and work with local providers of NHS services, such as hospitals and GP practices, to agree a joint five-year plan which says how the NHS will contribute to the integrated care strategy.