HARDLY a day goes by without some new revelation regarding the chaos caused by the reorganisation of hospital services in East Lancashire.

Despite what some local MPs would have us believe, the accident and emergency department at Blackburn is unable to cope with admissions for a significant part of the week.

There are repeated reports of elderly, vulnerable patients being moved from one hospital to the other in the middle of the night.

Doctors have admitted to the Press that lives are being put at risk due to the removal of A&E facilities at Burnley.

Patients and their families are being put through needless stress as well as inconvenience and financial costs.

All in the name of a change that is laughingly called ‘meeting patients’ needs’!

When will this trust admit that they’ve got it wrong, people’s lives are being put at risk, hospital staff are demoralised and under pressure constantly.

One hospital cannot cope whilst another, Burnley General, is scandalously allowed to fall into decay. Thousands of people throughout East Lancashire have been totally opposed to these changes.

These concerns have now been proved to be absolutely valid.

I challenge the trust to tell us what benefits these changes have brought to the people of East Lancashire.

We all know that the real reason that the changes were brought in were because of financial considerations due to the crippling costs of the private finance initiative build in Blackburn.

We are paying a very heavy cost, possibly with our lives.

If those who run the trust are not prepared to see sense and reverse the changes, they must be removed and replaced by people who really care for the health and welfare of the people of East Lancashire. ALAN THORBURN, Thirlmere Road, Burnley.