Accrington Victoria Hospital veto call to health secretary

Its full meeting on Thursday will debate a motion calling on the East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) to pause its plan to shut the community health hub.

The draft resolution proposed by Milnshaw ward's Labour councillor Paul Cox wants to see investment in the building instead, despite the health trust saying the historic building being beyond repair.

Last month the trust announced it was to shut Accrington Victoria Hospital because of safety fears.

ELHT chief executive, Martin Hodgson, said the hospital in Haywood Road, was in a "critical condition" and "beyond repair" but that main services would remain in the town for local people, with most moving to different premises only around a mile away.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting He said large parts of the 1894 building were closed, the roof had collapsed, it is “full of asbestos” and that it would be “dangerous to remain there” for both patients and staff.

Already Hyndburn's Labour MP Sarah Smith has vowed to take the fight to keep the hospital open to the office of Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

Cllr Cox's motion, seconded by fellow Milnshaw Labour councillor Andrew Clegg, says: "This council is hugely disappointed in the East Lancashire Health Trust decision to close Accrington Victoria Hospital.

"As such a short timetable was released by the trust, we feel it failed to allow residents and the community to have their voices heard.

"We feel as a council this action has disproportionately affected Hyndburn residents, and particularly those of Accrington.

The hospital is in a dangerous condition and beyond repair, ELHT said "This council asks the ELHT to pause this action rather than close it and invest in the building and vital services it delivers."

The motion calls for Hyndburn Council to:

• Write to ELHT and ask them to pause this closure;
• Contact Wes Streeting, secretary of state for health and social care, to ask him to formally ask the health trust to stop this closure;
• Create a working group with key stakeholders including the health trust, social housing providers and developers to look at forming a plan which will offer a solution to ongoing building issues and look to access funding that will ensure Hyndburn residents are given fair and proportional health care based in the heart of our town.

The motion adds: "Within the working group the council would establish a residents, patients and local GP’s community panel who would be included in all decisions concerning the site, its development and its future use."

Hyndburn Council's Conservative opposition group leader Cllr Zak Khan said: "For those who attended the public meeting, it was confirmed the council, controlling group and MP were first made aware of the closure of Accrington Victoria Hospital weeks before it was publicly announced.

"Why did they not resolve to do this then?

"Unfortunately, we were not invited or made aware of the meetings by the trust or council, so we were prevented from making our voices heard on behalf of residents.

"Any future working group or actions need to be open and transparent so that residents fully understand the decisions being taken."