Ashley Dalton, Labour MP for West Lancashire has called on Health Secretary Wes Streeting to intervene on the decision to co-locate A&E services at Southport Hospital.
The decision will mean Ormskirk Hospital will no longer house A&E services and was made by the Shaping Care Together Joint Committee, combining the NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB) and the NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB.
Ms Dalton expressed her deep concern following the announcement of A&E services being co-located in Southport, rather than Ormskirk, stating that she will be urging the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, to intervene.
Whilst the decision-making process has not involved MPs or ministers, the Health Secretary does have the ability to ‘call-in’ a decision if he judges it is not in the best interests of the local community, once a decision has been made.
The announcement was made at a public meeting at Ormskirk Civic Hall, where Ms Dalton was present, and follows a 13-week consultation on the future of A&E services in West Lancashire and Southport.
Speaking on the outcome, Ashley Dalton MP said:
“My constituents and I have been very clear throughout this consultation that we want children’s and adults’ A&E services co-located at Ormskirk Hospital.
“Today’s announcement that A&E services will be co-located at Southport Hospital is deeply disappointing for my constituents, who are understandably concerned about the time it will take them to get to A&E and the health implications of this decision.
I do not believe that this decision is in the best interests of West Lancashire. Therefore, I will be writing to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, to ask him to intervene in this decision.”