AN MP has called on health chiefs to ensure that as "much is done as possible" to recruit more staff at Chorley's Accident and Emergency Department.

Chorley MP Lindsay Hoyle said recruiting the staff needed would help realise a 24 hours, seven days a week emergency department at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital, which he said was 'desperately needed'.

His comments come after concerns were raised about the ongoing crisis in emergency care cover at the hospital by Chorley borough councillor Hasina Khan at a meeting of Lancashire County Council's health scrutiny committee last week.

Professor Mark Pugh, Medical Director of the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust, also acknowledged that the service is continuing to struggle to recruit both middle grade and junior doctors.

Last April, the unit closed due to staffing problems but it re-opened for just 12 hours a day in January.

Lindsay Hoyle MP said: "I can't comment specifically on the reasons the trust is having difficulty recruiting, but this is clearly a national problem across the board and more training of doctors is needed.

"But I'd like to see as much done as possible to help realise the seven days a week emergency department at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital, which is desperately needed."

Prof Pugh said that despite there being 43 job interviews with medics, only three have been accepted so far.

While a total £1.8m has been spent on temporary and locum staff in 2016/17, and with extra consultant costs, the bill is between £2.1 and £2.2m.

Prof Pugh said: "My remit is to provide safe services for our patients. If we have sufficient staff we will do that.

"If we can't then there's no alternative to make these decisions to either temporarily close the service or move elsewhere."

He also quashed concerns that the A&E unit could close by October saying they were 'rumours.

Karen Partington, Chief Executive at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "There continues to be a national shortage of doctors across the country, and recruiting and retaining the right staff continues to be a real challenge.

"However, we have no plans at this time to change the current arrangements at the emergency department at Chorley hospital.