REGARDING the queries raised by Mrs A Isherwood about what is happening to Blackburn Infirmary (Letters, September 7) it was in July that we were pleased to receive approval to commence with our Single Site Project.

This will see the services currently provided by the Infirmary transferred to Queen's Park Hospital. The opening of the Queen's Park extension is scheduled for 2004, at which time the Infirmary would close.

This is a tremendous opportunity to modernise the provision of health care to the local community and to significantly improve the quality and efficiency of services.

For example, the current split-site arrangements necessitate approximately 16,000 patient transfers between the two hospitals each year. This both inconveniences patients and represents a significant drain on resources. These transfers will be eliminated by the consolidation of services at Queen's Park Hospital.

The transfer of services to Queen's Park includes the MRI scanning service which commenced last year, following a successful public appeal. We are very grateful to the people of East Lancashire for their generosity and I am glad to provide an assurance regarding its future.

Although the Trust provides a wide range of services to its resident population, certain treatments are delivered from specialist centres - for instance, cancer services and certain children's services.

We are committed to working in partnership with East Lancashire Health Authority and other NHS partners to ensure that the people of East Lancashire are provided with services of the highest quality which, wherever possible are available locally. A good example of this is the development of a cancer centre in Preston supported by cancer units in East Lancashire.

JOHN L THOMAS, Chief Executive, Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Health Care NHS Trust, Queen's Park Hospital, Blackburn.

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