Could Infirmary services be saved?

Date published: 22 February 2010

Women and children’s Services at Rochdale Infirmary are due to be transferred to The Royal Oldham Hospital when construction work is completed and the new clinical service commences but  could a change of government save services at Rochdale Infirmary? 

At the latest meeting of the Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust Board, concern was raised about a potential change in Government policy  - and with a potential change in government if the Conservatives win in May this is a possibility. Non Executive Director Mr H Griffith and Chairman Mr J Jesky asked about the effect on the Trust's plans of any change in Government policy.

The Trust's Director of Facilities, Mr J Wilkes, stated that the construction contract "could be terminated and the Trust would only have to pay for the costs incurred". This would be between £5-7million in the first year.

Chief Executive Mr J Saxbysaid that terminating the build would mean "the Trust would be forced to try to maintain an unsustainable and unviable service at Rochdale Infirmary".

Construction is scheduled to be completed by November 2011 with the clinical service commencing in Oldham in December 2011