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Hospital’s not under review

14/ 3/2007

IT'S full steam ahead for Macclesfield Hospital after staff learnt they will NOT be included in the review of a decision to close maternity and children's wards.

The boss of East Cheshire NHS Trust has welcomed this news which means it can continue to move forward with plans to provide 24/7 paediatric and obstetric care.

Chief Executive, John Wilbraham, said: "We were pleased in December 2006 when Central and Eastern Cheshire Primary Care Trust agreed to look at the continued commissioning of services from our trust.

"It is now pleasing that the value of this decision is not being questioned and that we can press ahead with working with our partners to draw up a service model which ensures we can continue to provide 24/7 inpatient children's and maternity services locally."

Our hospital is not part of this independent review because Macclesfield was the subject of a separate resolution at the decision-making meeting in December.

The resolution meant women and overnight children's facilities at the district general would continue, providing they could match certain standards.

Specifications which the organisation has to deliver could include a set number of hours, consultant cover on labour wards, continuous professional development - or ongoing training - for staff, and looking at what services for children may be provided in the community.

• THE Making It Better consultation looked at inpatient services for women, babies and young people in Greater Manchester, East Cheshire and High Peak. In December, eight hospitals were chosen as sites to be developed as Centres of Excellence but the Independent Reconfiguration Panel is reviewing the decision after the outcome was contested by people in Salford, Bury and Rochdale. They will consider whether the proposed changes to services will ensure the provision of safe, sustainable and accessible services for residents.

The panel will then advise the Secretary of State for Health, Patricia Hewitt, by the end of June and the final decision on changes to hospital services rests with her.