CHORLEY’S accident and emergency unit is set re-open on a part-time basis from January.

The unit closed to patients in April, placing strain on neighbouring emergency departments like the Royal Blackburn Hospital, after the trust failed to recruit enough mid-grade doctors to safely staff it.

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The announcement comes after NHS Improvement, the body responsible for overseeing foundation trusts and NHS trusts, published an independent review into the closure and concluded that more could have been done by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust to reopen the department sooner.

The report concluded that NHS England expect the A&E unit to reopen in January on a part time basis from 8am until 8pm.

It also reported that the the closure has placed increased pressure on neighbouring A&E units including Royal Blackburn, Preston and Wigan and that medical staff will be available shortly to operate Chorley and South District Hospital A&E unit.

The review was requested by Chorley MP Lindsay Hoyle, and the town’s council leader Alistair Bradley along with local Clinical Commissioning Groups and Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The report added the unit could open up sooner if local stakeholders work together.

However, the report found that it is not feasible to reopen the department on a 24-hour-a-day basis, disappointing campaigners who want a return to a round-the clock service.

The emergency department is set to be reopened in January at the same time as a new 24-hour urgent care centre opens, which will be run by a private firm, Go2Doc, on behalf of the NHS.

Karen Partington, chief executive of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The new provider taking over the urgent care centre from January gives us the opportunity to redeploy our staff and work in a different way so that we can safely reinstate the emergency department part time.

“We know this has been a matter of great concern for local people and are deeply sorry for the anxiety this has caused.”

Mr Hoyle said: “I am very happy with the recommendation that the unit should re-open.Since April I’ve been calling for this and I hope that we see action very soon.”

“I know that the closure of Chorley A&E was brought about by poor recruitment and it has placed an immense burden on neighbouring hospitals.

Ste Turner, was one of the organisers of the campaign which has protested each Saturday at the gates of Chorley Hospital.

He said: “This is a welcome development but the trust have to deliver these recommendations. We will be having a public meeting to discuss the report but our intention has always been to reinstate a 24-hour service for in Chorley and South Ribble.”