'WE SHOULD BE INVESTING, NOT CLOSING DOWN'

Residents' anger and concern over speculation children's A&E faces axe

- By ELLIOT JESSETT

RESIDENTS in Ormskirk are becoming increasingly concerned at the prospect of losing the town's children's A&E department in new proposals to consolidate NHS services.

In July, the ECHO reported on an NHS consultation process to discuss the possibility of axing A&E services in either Southport or Ormskirk.

Bosses detailed plans to "bring services together" at one site, and claimed this would "help ease pressures and allow us to provide round the clock emergency care".

Two different proposals were put forward by the NHS Shaping Care Together Programme (SCT), the authority in charge of how NHS services are provided in Southport and Formby, and West Lancashire.

A public consultation was launched, with patients being asked to choose where they would like to see services relocated. The first option would bring children's and adult A&E rooms together on a single site at Southport Hospital, relocating the children's A&E from Ormskirk Hospital and extending it to a 24-hour service.