Walk in centre for Southport children postponed

Health chiefs have gone back on their promises and are attempting to ditch plans for a children's walk-in centre a second time, Southport's MP has claimed.

John Pugh told The Champion yesterday (September 14, 2010) that NHS Sefton have postponed a proposal for a children's site amid worries that it will adversely affect children's services at Ormskirk Hospital outlined at a special stakeholders meeting held last Friday (September 10, 2010).


“The brutal truth is Sefton NHS despite solemn promises had never allocated any money for this project and the hospital would sooner it did not happen. The so-called independent report is a just an implausible fig leaf to hide their shame. It contains no properly costed proposals, loaded statistics and resulted from interviewing mostly opponents of the scheme,” he said.

“We are all absolutely united in our desire to prevent this stitch up by NHS bosses and we hope Mr Lansley will share our concern. They just don't get it. You should not have leave town to get basic care and assurance. Money has been spent by the local NHS on massive clinics but there's nothing for the people's priorities.”

Mr Pugh's comments come a week after Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust said at its Annual General Meeting that it was working towards creating a single organisation which took care of all aspects of the region's healthcare. He hinted that if this new organisation is created, the increased powers afforded to GPs could prove the key to getting the go-ahead for the walk-in centre, and said that in a poll conducted by his offices one in two GPs said they favoured the scheme.

The MP, who said the campaign has support from across all the political parties, joined fellow Liberal Democrat Sue Mcguire and Conservatives Barry Griffiths and Brenda Porter for a meeting yesterday with Andrew Lansley, secretary of state for health, to discuss their concerns about the unit.

Conservative councillor Brenda Porter, who joined John Pugh at the meeting, told The Champion that the decision over the walk-in centre was both a dissapointment and not a reflection of the stakeholders' views.

"The report submitted by the PCTwas not supported at the stakeholders meeting but was noted and it is important that we are united in ensuring Southport is not again overlooked with the provision of medical services to the town," she said.

"The meeting [with Andrew Lansley] in London was both promising and encouraging and there was clear indication of a way forward despite the flawed report from Sefton's PCT".

But Sefton NHS responded by saying that the proposals had been postponed to allow a more informed decision on the walk-in centre.

“NHS Sefton has now received the independent clinical review of its proposals for a children’s walk-in centre. The review has been carried out by two of the country’s leading paediatric experts after concerns were raised by clinicians about the plans,” said Dr Janet Atherton, Acting Chief Executive.

“We are now looking in detail at its recommendations, and sharing them with patient representatives, local doctors and hospital consultants to gain their views. It is important that we allow enough time for all these thorough discussions to take place, including talks with politicians, so that we can make a fully informed response to the review and its recommendations.”