Local Conservatives have expressed their dismay at yesterday's news that a full Chorley's Accident and Emergency service is not expected to be restored up to at least April 2017, 8 months’ time.
From the outset it was made clear that this was an organisational problem and not one of funding.
In their statement, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals wrote “Today (Wednesday 3 August 2016) the SRG [System Resilience Group) reviewed and carefully considered a detailed risk assessment of the potential options for the ongoing delivery of the emergency and urgent care services at Chorley Hospital. The SRG has decided that it has no other realistic option but to maintain the current service of an 8am until 8pm urgent care service at Chorley Hospital as the best way of ensuring the delivery of safe and sustainable care for patients. This will be reviewed again in April 2017.”
Leader of the Conservative Opposition on Chorley Council, Cllr Paul Leadbetter said "We are astounded and hugely disappointed by the news today, that the A&E is likely to remain closed until no earlier than April 2017, and cannot accept that more isn’t being done to reinstate the service.
The temporary closure of the Chorley and South Ribble Hospital A&E is becoming long term rather than temporary and we are gravely concerned over the current situation, the impact this is having on people who would need to use the A&E service and the resultant increase in demand at neighbouring Hospitals providing an A&E service."