Health campaigner questions commitment to Infirmary

Prominent local health campaigner Jean Ashworth, a former councillor and Chairwoman of the health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, spoke out today on the joint commitment by Pennine Acute Hospital Trust, Heywood Middleton and Rochdale Primary Care Trust, Pennine Care Foundation NHS Trust and Rochdale Council to protect the future of Rochdale’s health services.

Mrs Ashworth, who was formerly a Healthcare Assistant at the Infirmary until her retirement, expressed surprise that the event, reported on Rochdale Online, had not also included ‘Friends of Our Hospital’ and other organisations such as Age UK who had made a massive contribution to the shape of health services over the years. She told Rochdale Online: “We did not even know that this event was taking place. This does not seem to be a good start if they really are serious about getting the public involved.”

Although she welcomed the moves to involve local people she said: “Since Pennine Acute was formed in 2004, nothing said by local people has stopped services moving from the Infirmary site.

"Councillor Colin Lambert was calling for the resignation of the Chief Executive less than a year ago but now he has signed up to this.

“I am glad that the important heritage of the Infirmary has been mentioned but it is action rather than words that patients and their families will be looking for. Far too many services have been lost already.”

Mrs Ashworth went on to mention the withdrawal of the Acute Respiratory Assessment Team (ARAS) and said that she believed that it had provided a valuable service to patients in the most acute need and moved out into the community without being fully tested.

She also said she wondered how services would be transformed given the fact that almost 200 staff were currently facing redundancy.

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/69975/the-future-of-rochdale-infirmary-and-community-services