Making it Better, Healthy Futures, who for? Not us!

With the decision already taken to recommend the downgrading of the Infirmary to a 'Locality Hospital' an estimated 200 concerned residents,  including some from Walsden and Todmorden, turned out for a public meeting held at St Mary's Parish Hall, Featherstall Road, Littleborough, organised by Friends of Our Hospital to give local people the opportunity to ask questions relating to ambulance and hospital services, including A amp; E, major trauma and "what is a Locality Hospital".

Father A Nearey and Councillor Ashley Dearnley joint chaired the meeting; Councillor Lynne Brosnan and Councillor Pauline Maquire joined sat at the top table with committee members of Friends of Our Hospital. MPs Paul Rowen and Jim Dobbin both sent their apologies.

Present representing the public sector bodies were:

• Dr Mike Finnegan  - Divisional Medical Director for Medicine Pennine Acute Hospital Trust
• Jo Purcell - Director of Strategy Heywood, Middleton amp; Rochdale Primary Care Trust 
• Tim Butcher - North West Ambulance Trust
• Tom Wilders - Director of Strategic Planning Pennine Acute
• Paul Mainwaring - Chair Patients Council
• John Williams - Strategic Health Authority
• Celia Gaze - Director of Service Reconfiguration

Dr Mike Finnegan and Jo Purcell gave a presentation entitled: 'Why change anything'. The reasons they listed were:

• Not enough specialists for staff rotas - services spread too thinly across four sites in key specialities.
• Transport - 84 heart attack patients were treated at Rochdale Infirmary in 2005. Based on postcodes they reported that average extra travel time to Oldham Royal and Fairfield Hospital in Bury would be only an extra 1.5 minutes. The maximum travel time they said would be 10 minutes.
• Ex ambulance driver Mel Jones challenged these times stating it was impossible for anyone even on a blue light to get to the hospitals in nrighbouring towns in the times stated by Tim Butcher. Mr Jones had backing from another very concerned current ambulance man who also spoke up against the proposals.

Many members of the public were clearly unconvinced, especially the people from Walsden and Todmorden, and raised their concerns.

Rochdale Infirmary employee, and Friends of Our Hospital committee member, Councillor Jean Ashworth spoke passionately about her fears that the people of Rochdale and surrounding areas would be seriously disadvantaged with the removal of  A amp; E. She also claimed that an 'Urgent Care Centre' would be "nurse-led", asking the question of how the Trust are going to retain staff over the next 9 months to 2 years whilst these changes are made. She said staff morale is already "at the lowest ever and people are working under an uncertain future".

Dr Mike Finnegan disagreed very strongly with Councillor Ashworth that the Urgent Care Centre would be a nurse-led Unit. However, in a statement seen by some as evidence of a "done deal" Dr Finnegan also stated that Rochdale's A amp; E  was going - prompting Councillor Ashworth to ask: "so why are they having a meeting on the 8 December in Manchester for 13 PCTs to sit all day and decide Rochdale's future? Have they not already made that decision?"

The authorities left the meeting with no doubt that the people of Rochdale do not share their confidence or their vision. One member of the public asked: "Have we, in our thousands, got it wrong?" and added: "Making it Better, Healthy Futures, who for? Not us!"