‘Hospital is only open because of action group’
A PARISH council has unanimously voted to support a health panel set up to fight for the retention of Leek Moorlands Hospital.
Leek Town Council has set up the panel and is seeking the support of parishes around the Staffordshire Moorlands to back them in their fight to keep the hospital open and to retain the beds at the premises.
At last week’s meeting of Ipstones Parish Council members agreed that support for the hospital was vital to the whole district.
Chairman of the parish council, Councillor Linda Malyon, said: “I went to the special meeting of Leek Town Council regarding the hospital.
“It was disappointing that our MP and the leader of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council were not there but the council chamber was packed to capacity with people.
“A new working group has been set up and they now want the support of all parishes in the Moorlands to keep the hospital open.
“I proposed that we write to Pam Wood, who is on the new panel and is also the chairman of Save Leek Hospital Action Group, to offer our support.
“All parish councils should write offering their support as this is such an important issue.
“No one has yet said that the hospital will be closed, but the beds have already been taken away. The hospital is still only open because of the action group. We should thank them for their work.”
Councillor Heather James said that more beds were being opened at the Royal Stoke University Hospital in Stoke-on-trent ready for the winter weather.
She said: “There are beds and plenty of room at both Leek and Cheadle hospitals, so why are these not being used? Cheadle is nearer to us than Leek.”
It comes as it has emerged that consultation on health care in the district has been delayed again. In a statement the Clinical Commissioning Groups said: “We have undertaken a rigorous process to develop a preconsultation business case which details options based on quality of care first but that are also clinically sustainable, accessible and financially credible. The documents and detail within are rightly being assured by NHS England to make sure that we have met the required tests and complied with our legal duties.
“We are in the final stages of this process, however, the timescale for the launch of a public consultation will take longer than we had originally anticipated. We are continuing to provide the information and evidence required for NHS England’s assurance process and once this process is complete we will be in a position to confirm a date later in the year for public consultation.”