THE Lancashire Telegraph’s petition to ensure critical hospital services are kept within East Lancashire has broken the 1,000 signature barrier.

Seven specialist services at the Royal Blackburn and Burnley General hospitals, including the flagship Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), could be threatened with closure as part of a regional NHS review.

 

SIGN THE PETITION HERE

 

The Telegraph launched its ‘Save Our Services’ campaign on December 12 and started an online and newspaper petition to demonstrate to NHS England bosses the strength of support for keeping key functions local.

NHS England has launched a North West regional review which could centralise key services elsewhere, notably Preston and Manchester.

By Christmas Eve, a total of 1,100 people had signed the petition. Patients’ champion Russ McLean said: “Well done the Lancashire Telegraph.”

He was joined in praise by local MPs who echoed his call for local people to keep on signing the petition.

Mr McLean, chairman of the Pennine Lancashire Patients Voices Group said: “I am just so grateful to the Lancashire Telegraph for its campaign. “This is a splendid achievement.

“These services are too vital to local people to lose. I just urge people to keep on signing this petition so local voices are heard.”

Burnley Liberal Democrat MP Gordon Birtwistle said: “This is wonderful news.

“I applaud the Lancashire Telegraph . I appeal to local people to keep on signing so we get to 10,000 signatures and the NHS bosses in London have to listen.”

Ribble Valley Tory MP Nigel Evans said: “This is fantastic news. Congratulations to the Lancashire Telegraph.

“People must now keep on signing so NHS bosses have to listen to us.”

Pendle Tory MP Andrew Stephenson said: “Excellent news. Keep on signing.”

Mr McLean, local MPs and the East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) which runs the two hospitals, are concerned that removal of the services would cause untold hardship to many patients and their families who would struggle to travel long distances for their care in other parts of the North West.

The seven services, which also include not just the specialist baby care unit but pancreatic cancer and severe asthma care, are delivered as part of a £25million specialist care budget and their removal would have serious implications for the hospitals’ future success.

The others said to be at risk are HIV, complex vascular surgery, liver and pancreatic care and complex disability services.