Farron calls on Health Minister to send Review back to drawing board

Local MP Tim Farron has today issued the Department of Health Minister Anne Keen with a request to send Westmorland General Hospital's Acute Services Review back to the drawing board. Speaking in a Westminster Hall debate, Mr Farron stated that the Review had been plagued by a "catalogue of maladministration, procedural flaws, management failures and broken promises".

The local Morecambe Bay Hospitals Trust began a consultation in summer 2006 and ended it in September of the same year. The outcome of the consultation was the decision to close the heart and stroke units at Westmorland General Hospital, as well as the removal of other acute services.

The public response was unprecedented, 27,000 people signed a petition against the closures, 7,000 people were moved to formally respond to the consultation and 6,000 people marched through Kendal to protest at the closures.

During the debate Tim Farron said:

"The acute service review at Westmorland Hospital in Kendal, has been marked not only by a staggeringly dangerous final decision that will undoubtedly cost lives, but also by a catalogue of maladministration, procedural flaws, management failures and broken promises which frankly has brought the management of the NHS in south Cumbria into disrepute.

"I am simply asking the minister to undertake a full review of the facts with a view to instructing the local NHS trusts to go back to the drawing board. To instruct the PCT in Cumbria to lead a fresh consultation in which all options are fully considered and where due process is observed."

After the debate Tim spoke to the Minister, who confirmed to him that she would be seeking clarification from the Chief Executive of the ambulance service in the region and the Health care Commission that the promised upgrades would be carried out.