Friday 4 July 2025
Today, the Shaping Care Together Joint Committee, led by NHS Cheshire and Merseyside and NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria is meeting to discuss the future of A&E services in the Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust. They are considering two options;
- Co-location of a 24-hour adult and children’s A&E at Southport Formby Hospital
- Co-location of a 24-hour adult and children’s A&E at Ormskirk Hospital
After the meeting, a public consultation will open on the options the Committee is considering.
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.
It is important that everyone in West Lancashire who has a view on the future of our A&E services submits a response to the consultation expressing their views.
UPDATE: The consultation has now opened. If you would like to attend one of the in-person consultation events, you can find the full details of these below. If you are unable to attend one of the in-person events but would like to submit a response to the consultation, please also find the link to do so below.
If you would prefer a physical copy of the survey, I have some in my office. Please get in touch about this by emailing me on ashley.dalton.mp@parliament.uk or calling my office on 01695 559699. Please note that my office do not see the contents of your consultation responses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is making the decision on the future of A&E services?
The decision will be made by the Shaping Care Together Joint Committee.
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.
The Government has no role to play in the decision about A&E services in West Lancashire.
You are a Health Minister, are you able to secure the co-location of A&E services at Ormskirk Hospital?
After the consultation period, a decision will be made by the Joint Committee of the Shaping Care Together Programme. 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.
However, as your constituency MP, 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. I will be submitting a response to the consultation outlining this view and would encourage all West Lancashire residents who have a view on this matter to do the same.
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.
What is the position of the Committee?
We do not yet know what the Committee will decide, but the report that the Committee will be discussing on Friday recommends the co-location of a 24-hour adult and children’s A&E at Southport Formby Hospital.
Where are services currently located?
At present, adult Accident and Emergency services are located at Southport & Formby Hospital.
Children’s A&E services are located at Ormskirk Hospital but the nighttime service was closed during the Covid pandemic in 2020 and has not yet been reopened by the NHS Trust.
Will the final decision be made on Friday 4 July?
No. The Committee will open a 13-week public consultation on the two options it is considering.
It is important that everyone in West Lancashire who has a view on the future of A&E services in West Lancashire submits a response to the consultation expressing their views.
The Committee will make a final decision after the consultation period has closed.
How can I participate in the consultation?
The consultation is now open and members of the public are able to submit responses to it.
Details about how to do so are available further up this page.
I wrote to the Joint Committee and the Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust as your constituency MP to ensure that they planned to hold in-person public consultation meetings in West Lancashire for constituents to attend. I’m pleased that these public events are going ahead and encourage anyone in West Lancashire who has a view on the future of A&E services at Ormskirk Hospital to attend. I have already been present at a number of these meetings and will attend as many as my parliamentary diary will allow.
Where are services currently located?
At present, adult Accident and Emergency services are located at Southport & Formby Hospital.
Children’s A&E services are located at Ormskirk Hospital but the nighttime service was closed during the Covid pandemic in 2020 and has not yet been reopened by the NHS Trust.