Rochdale Infirmary - the plot thickens!

Date article online: 13/12/2006

Rochdale MP Paul Rowen has questioned the cancelling of a vital meeting where it was expected that Health Bosses were going to confirm a provisional decision to shut Accident and Emergency at Rochdale Infirmary.  The cancellation of the meeting came in the same week that Dave and Lisa Fitton officially lodged their application for Judicial Review into the decision.

In a statement issued only 24 hours before the meeting was due to take place – Health Bosses pulled the meeting blaming, "an unforeseen delay in the production of relevant papers for the Healthy Futures Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts".   The meeting was scheduled for Thursday 14 December at the Lancashire Health and Racquets Club, Heywood Old Road, Middleton at 4pm.  The final decision will now not be made until January 2007.

Mr Rowen said: "The plot thickens – I’m afraid I simply do not buy their excuse, this is the biggest NHS shake up of services for decades and for health bosses not to be organised is unthinkable.  This week, the Fittons have lodged their application for a judicial review into the very decision that was expected to be confirmed tomorrow.  Can we really trust health bosses?  This was a decision provisionally reached in September, they wouldn’t confirm it until a decision was made on Maternity and Child Care Services.  That decision has been made and they’ve had months to sort out their paperwork.  This smacks of incompetence at best, and is it linked to the application for judicial review?"