Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg calls for A&E in Burnley

3:39pm Thursday 17th April 2008

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LIBERAL Democrats leader Nick Clegg backed calls for an accident and emergency department to be returned to Burnley on his first visit to the town.

Mr Clegg, who also visited Nelson, spoke out after hearing local residents' views when he visited a cafe in Burnley's market hall yesterday.

Diane Flynn brought up a number of problems she has experienced since Burnley Gene-ral Hospital stopped accepting blue-light' emergencies in November 2007 as part of the NHS's Meeting Patients Needs reorganisation.

Speaking about the similarities between Burnley and his constituency in Sheffield, Mr Clegg said: "One thing that unites people is the concerns about local facilities - particularly the elderly - with five of your local post offices closing and the situation with A&E.

"It's shameful isn't it - and where's all this money going?

"People can't understand."

He added: "They will have to reverse this decision because it makes no sense - there should be an A&E in Burnley."

Mrs Flynn said: "We need an A&E in Burnley - it's got to come back. People are going to lose their lives - it's outrageous.

"Local people should have local amenities and especially emergency treatment."

Speaking about his visit to Burnley, Mr Clegg said: "I love it - I've spent a lot of time in the North West but I've never been here.

"Having listened to Gordon Birtwistle all the things that people are worrying about here are the locality of the nearest A&E, closure of the post offices, concern about local employment and people getting more value for money from the local council.

"Certainly up here in the North West there's a strong feeling that government in London are not listening to what people are saying."

After visiting Burnley, Mr Clegg went to the Visit Pendle centre at Boundary Mill before heading on to Nelson where he toured the site of the new Arts, Community and Enterprise (ACE) Centre.