Parents’ anger at an emergency meeting, organised to discuss the damning report on a children’s minor injuries unit in Southport

Parents gathered at an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the decision to axe a children’s minor injuries unit in Southport.The meeting was organised by hospital campaign group CARES and took place on Monday evening (November 22) at Christ Church on Lord Street.


Co-chairman of the group and mother-of-two, Cath Regan, said: “We need something in Southport to put our minds at rest.”

She also made a plea to board members of NHS Sefton, who will debate the options at a board meeting in January.

Cath said: “For the people of Southport, please do something to put the last seven years right.”

Mother-of-three Alison Rushton, whose four-year-old daughter is severely disabled, said: “I just want to know what is going on. All you hear is report, report, report but nothing changes.”

The minor injuries unit was first promised in June 2008 after the children’s casualty was removed in 2003, but looks set to be scrapped after a report deemed it not feasible.

Dr Janet Atherton, acting chief executive of NHS Sefton, defended the report, “We asked two consultants to undertake the review very specifically to look at the safety of the proposals and the suitability of implementing them.”

Her comments came after authors Dr Hilary Cass and Dr Ian Maconochie did not recommend the walk-in centre.

Mother-of-two and local councillor Sue McGuireŠsaid: “There were several parents of disabled children at the meeting and this is clearly an area that needs to targeted.”

Pat Regan said: “After sitting through the CARES meeting at Christ Church last night I, like many other Southport parents, have to say I am disgusted.

“We have NO emergency facilities here for our offspring and the millions of resort visitors who arrive each year.

“This whole situation is an insult to our human rights and the PCT must be made fully accountable for this unforgivable situation now.”