South Lakes MP pushes for Government commitment after fears raised about future of Royal Lancaster Infirmary

South Lakes MP Tim Farron is pressing the Government to commit to the future of local health services after they floated the idea of merging the Royal Lancaster Infirmary and Royal Preston Hospital onto a single site.

In a press release issued on the eve of the Conservative Party Conference, the Department of Health announced the 'planned replacement of Royal Preston and Lancaster Royal Infirmary' with 'either a single or two hospitals'.

Speaking today, Tim said, "While local health bosses seem to have been taken by surprise themselves, and played down the threat to the RLI, we need a commitment from the Government that they won't remove hospital services from Morecambe Bay.

"Residents here in the South Lakes already have to travel some of the longest distances for hospital treatment in England - and in an emergency the nearest A&E department for much of the area is in Lancaster.

"A 'super hospital' near Garstang might look good on paper, but it'll cost a lot of money and just add yet more time to journeys in an emergency.

"The Government constantly talk about 'levelling up' but all this announcement does is show they don't understand the distances local residents already travel for hospital services in the far north of England."

Tim is well known for his campaigns to save and improve local health services, and he's pledged to man the barricades once more.

"We won't give up the hospital services we rely on easily," he warned.