Residents feel left in the dark over the partial closure of Longridge Hospital and are searching for answers about its long-term future.
I met with campaigners to discuss their concerns over the temporary relocation of inpatient beds to Chorley.
I’ve remained in contact with Lancashire Integrated Care Board since patients were moved and I’m awaiting a timeline of investigations and decision making so people have some clarity.
The strength of feeling in the community is evident. A peaceful demonstration earlier this month attracted a crowd of people all keen to see services return and there’s other work going on in the background to get some answers.
When we met, I heard stories from campaigners whose relatives were in the hospital when the beds were relocated and there’s anger over how the situation’s been handled.
There are also concerns over the strain on patients’ relatives, many of them elderly, and the distance they now need to travel to Chorley for hospital visiting.
It’s clear there’s been a communications problem and I’m pushing for transparency in response to the community’s feedback.
I’ve invited the ICB to a public meeting to allow residents to hear directly from those who use the hospital’s services and I’m hoping to get a date in the diary as soon as possible.
