‘How can we trust our NHS leaders?’

FEARS are growing for the future of a hospital’s minor injury unit - which has been closed since the middle of March.

It comes following a presentation about the closure of Leek Moorlands Hospital at the county council’s Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee.

The meeting was attended by Leek county councillor Charlotte Atkins, who challenged Dr Jane Moore of the local NHS Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) over the reasons given for the continued shutdown.

Councillor Atkins, below, who is also the leader of the opposition on Staffordshire County Council, said: “The presentation stated that minor injury units such as Leek’s were closed because of low volumes.

“When I asked how she defined low volumes, given that a thousand people a month accessed the MIU before its ‘temporary’ closure in March this year, she suddenly moved the goalposts and said that the MIU was closed for reasons of Covid -19 safety. She then added staffing levels.

“How can we trust anything that local NHS leaders say when their reasons for cutting services change whenever they are challenged?

“No wonder public confidence in NHS leaders has plummeted.

“What is even more worrying is that the STP indicated that some current temporary service changes, particularly with maternity and urgent care, could be reviewed and consideration given to ‘locking in’ the temporary changes on a more permanent basis.

“That could mean the permanent closure of our MIU.

“That is totally unacceptable given the size of the population it serves and the very difficult journey to the alternative at Haywood Hospital.” Chairman of Leek Health Campaign group, Pam Wood, said they were told the Minor Injury Unit had closed because of a fall in numbers, but 1,000 people a month were going to the facility.

She said: “Councillor Atkins’ challenge to Dr Jane Moore has revealed the real reason for the continued closure of the Leek Minor Injuries Unit.

“It became clear at the Staffordshire County Council Health Scrutiny meeting that the North Staffs Clinical Commissioning Group ( CCG) has decided to keep the facility closed – without a justifiable basis.

“In March we were told the MIU closed because of a staff shortage.

“Yet after seven months no attempt has been made to re-staff the facility – even though the authority is currently advertising for nurses for the winter surge.

“Then in September, the Trust blamed closure on falling patient numbers – but the evidence shows this was not the case, and that the statement was untrue and misleading.

“Leek Health Campaign Group immediately notified the Trust of this error.

“But in early October the Trust once again blamed reduced attendances, knowing this to be untrue and also blamed staff issues.

“Then on October 26, the county council Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee saw from a CCG presentation yet again that closure was blamed on falling numbers, only then to hear from Dr Moore that closure was not due to falling patient numbers, but to staffing and the need for safe distance compliance.

“She alleged: ‘We cannot maintain safety spacing in the urgent care facility at the moment’. This allegation just doesn’t ring true.

“We know the Leek Moorlands Hospital has a brand new state of the art minor injuries department – as part of a recent £5.5m package of works bringing its facilities in line with national standards.

“And those familiar with the facility will confirm its layout comprises large open areas, including a very large reception area which can readily accommodate safety separation.

“And very obviously, the hospital is open with many other departments – none of which are mothballed on safety-spacing grounds.”