A&E cuts to begin next week

Rochdale Infirmary

The controversial move to cut Rochdale Infirmary's Accident and Emergency service will begin next week.

The Walk In Centre will move into the A&E Department on Monday (17 August) followed by the BARDOC GP out of hours services a week later.

A spokesperson for Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Infirmary said: "Putting these services under one roof means sick and injured patients who need urgent attention don’t have to think about where they need to go to access help – they can just turn up at the new unit and will be seen by the most appropriate health practitioner."

Putting services together in Rochdale is part of the Healthy Futures health service modernisation programme which will reshape the way NHS services are delivered across the north east of Manchester.

Speaking for the Healthy Futures Delivery Unit, Lisa Stack, Assistant Director, said: “We’re happy that progress is being made on a modernisation programme which will bring so many benefits to patients across north east Manchester.”

Dr Mark Coates, associate specialist in A&E at Rochdale Infirmary, added: “Close co-operation between clinicians working for the Pennine Acute Trust and the PCT will create a health ‘one stop shop’ that we believe will offer an effective service for Rochdale borough residents. It will also provide an excellent environment for both staff groups to develop their clinical skills to provide an integrated service that will benefit patients.”

The NHS has maintained that it is not possible to keep all four full Accident and Emergency Departments across the Pennine Acute Hospital Trust area and that Rochdale's department would be downsized to an Urgent Care Centre.

The hospital will continue to be Consultant-led with a medical assessment function and taking the majority of medical admissions. Patients from Rochdale with major trauma and injuries that require specialist or intensive care will be taken to the nearest acute hospital but will be offered the option to return to Rochdale Infirmary within 3 to 4 days.