Protest over Burnley children's ward closure plans (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Protest over Burnley children's ward closure plans

2:20pm Wednesday 24th March 2010 in

By Tyrone Marshall » Reporter

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PROTESTS are continuing over the planned closure of Burnley children’s ward.

A protest march is scheduled for Saturday, more than 3,000 people have joined a Facebook campaign group and the Liberal Democrat and Labour Parliamentary candidates have condemned the proposals.

Under the controversial Meeting Patients’ Needs programme, Deerplay Ward, at Burnley General, will be transferred, along with staff, to the Royal Blackburn Hospital.

The Save Our Children’s Ward group on Facebook had 3,226 members yesterday.

Burnley council leader Gordon Birtwistle, the Lib Dem candidate for the town in the upcoming General Election, will lead a march from the bottom of Queens Park at 1pm to the town centre on Saturday.

Coun Birtwistle said: “So many people are stopping me in the street over this I've never known anything like it,” he said.

“What those making these decisions don't understand is how hard it is for Burnley and Pendle people to manage these trips to Blackburn.

“If you're a mother with two children and your husband has the only car at work, it is very, very stressful.

“We have to march through the streets. We have to protest.

"We have to make our voices heard, because, if we don't, if we just roll over, there will be no end to it and we'll lose the hospital altogether.”

Burnley's Labour leader Coun Julie Cooper, the party's prospective parliamentary candidate, has also vowed to fight the closure.

Coun Cooper said: “The decision to close the Deerplay Ward at our hospital is totally outrageous and one which I will fight tooth and nail.

“My own children have in the past benefited from excellent care on this ward and it is totally unacceptable that if the East Lancs Hospital Trust have their way, generations of children will suffer.

“Burnley Labour Party will be protesting in the strongest possible way against this decision on behalf of the people of Burnley and Padiham.

“It is important that the impact of this decision and rationale behind it is scrutinised at the highest level.”

Meanwhile Afzal Anwar, Liberal Democrat prospective Parliamentary candidate for neighbouring Pendle, has threatened to ‘chain himself’ to the hospital doors to prevent the ward being lost to the borough and neighbouring Burnley.

Mr Anwar, who comes from Nelson, said: “First it was our A&E and now this.

"It’s time to tell health bosses enough is enough.

“The Lib Dems in Pendle and Burnley are the only party that are interested in the well-being of local people and we will continue to fight the closure of the children’s ward and campaign to reinstate A&E to Burnley General.

“I will fight the children’s ward move right to my final breath and, if extreme measures are needed, I would chain myself to the hospital in protest for the people of Pendle, who will find it hard to travel to Blackburn if they need access to the children’s wards.”

Comments(10)

birdkeith says...
1:25pm Fri 19 Mar 10

hi,im a bit noneplussed about this,in fact the more i think about it,the more im convinced that this has been raised for political expediency,you see i dont care what mr birtwhistle says,he,along with evryone else knew about this some four years ago,it was widely mooted ;along with the movement of A/E from burnley to blackburn,in fact it was actualy included in the proposals
put forward by the hospital authorities, and that the new birthing unit was to be built in burnley ,plus the fact that blackburn would be the
emergency centre while burnley would be mainly used for elective surgery,so these lib dems have had a full four years to lodge objections,it has to be asked why not one word has been raised durin that time,not one word,?and now suddenly they will fight to the last breath and will chain themselves to the railings,the lib dems are all wind and water,and only protest when they think they can make political capital out of something,oh they will probably hold their protests and carry on frightening people into thinking that burnley hospital is on the brink of being closed down,it only
needs a modicum of common sence to know that is not true,but if thats the only way the lib dems can persuade the electorate to vot for them, i do honestly sympathise with them,cos it shows they have nothing to offer,no one wants beds being moved especially childrens beds;but look at it in the round,they
arnt going to tell you this because it doesnt fit their propaganda,but since
the A/E move,the mortality rate has
greatly improved,and i take no notice of the unsigned letters sent to newspapers,because i have had first hand experiance of royal blackburn,
ive been an in patient at that hospital
on no less than five occasions,and i
have no complaints,although im willing to conceed that its a bit of a pain visitors travelling from burnley,and when i mention burnley,i can think of quite a few failings from there. birdkeith

hi,im a bit noneplussed about this,in fact the more i think about it,the more im convinced that this has been raised for political expediency,you see i dont care what mr birtwhistle says,he,along with evryone else knew about this some four years ago,it was widely mooted ;along with the movement of A/E from burnley to blackburn,in fact it was actualy included in the proposals put forward by the hospital authorities, and that the new birthing unit was to be built in burnley ,plus the fact that blackburn would be the emergency centre while burnley would be mainly used for elective surgery,so these lib dems have had a full four years to lodge objections,it has to be asked why not one word has been raised durin that time,not one word,?and now suddenly they will fight to the last breath and will chain themselves to the railings,the lib dems are all wind and water,and only protest when they think they can make political capital out of something,oh they will probably hold their protests and carry on frightening people into thinking that burnley hospital is on the brink of being closed down,it only needs a modicum of common sence to know that is not true,but if thats the only way the lib dems can persuade the electorate to vot for them, i do honestly sympathise with them,cos it shows they have nothing to offer,no one wants beds being moved especially childrens beds;but look at it in the round,they arnt going to tell you this because it doesnt fit their propaganda,but since the A/E move,the mortality rate has greatly improved,and i take no notice of the unsigned letters sent to newspapers,because i have had first hand experiance of royal blackburn, ive been an in patient at that hospital on no less than five occasions,and i have no complaints,although im willing to conceed that its a bit of a pain visitors travelling from burnley,and when i mention burnley,i can think of quite a few failings from there. birdkeith birdkeith