Hospital trust must do more to reassure public says MP

Local MP Tim Farron is calling on the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust to do more to reassure the public in the South Lakes and North Lancashire after a string of issues have come to light at the trust.

Tim has welcomed the moves put in place so far by trust bosses following failures in the trust's follow-up appointments system, but has said that the current situation is not acceptable, and that we need to know why problems keep happening.

After news came to light about follow-up appointments not being made, the trust put on additional clinics and brought in extra members of staff to ensure that those patients who need to be seen were contacted and given new appointments as a matter of urgency.

Tim has also been asking the government if there is grounds for an inquiry after news came to light about the hospitals trust's high mortality rate.

All this comes hot on the heels of a damning report from the health regulator, the Care Quality Commission, and the Nursing and Midwifery Council into midwifery services at Furness General Hospital.

Commenting, Tim said: "Like many residents I am concerned at another lapse at the hospitals trust. The issue with outpatients appointment is just the latest issue.

"I welcome the steps the trust has taken but now it really must get to grips with this issue and conduct a root and branch review. Constituents are telling me that they are travelling to Manchester for routine medical procedures rather than having them locally. This worries me greatly - I know that doctors and nurses at our local hospitals are hardworking and committed professionals who are doing amazing work in difficult circumstances.

"As a family, we use our local hospital so we know that the care on offer is excellent. But we also know that the booking and records system are causing real problems.

But I now want hospital bosses to act quickly to restore public confidence."