BURY people will finally have their say over plans to shut Bury General Hospital and move services to Fairfield.

Public consultation over the much-debated proposals will start at the end of February and continue for three months.

Three public meetings are being arranged, perhaps in Bury, Radcliffe and Whitefield/Prestwich. Bury Council has been asked to chair the meetings to ensure that residents see them as impartial.

People can inspect the plans in a consultation document which will be sent to libraries, GPs' surgeries, Bury council and voluntary groups.

An exhibition stand will be on display at public places around the borough, and anyone can ask Bury and Rochdale Health Authority for details and complete a response form.

At the same time, the local Community Health Council (CHC), which looks after patients' interests, will be doing its own consultation exercise. This may involve making a video and having a bus to tour the borough.

Health professionals say the changes should improve patient care and reduce duplication of services. The closure of the 92-year-old Bury General by 2002 is part of a masterplan to re-arrange hospital services in both Bury and Rochdale, which are covered by the same health authority. In Rochdale, Birch Hill hospital will be closed and services moved to the Infirmary.

Months of heated debate has dogged the proposals. Some people were worried about a loss of hospital beds, while an original suggestion to isolate all accident and emergency cases at just one of the four hospitals was vetoed after health bosses admitted they had under-estimated public opinion.

Fairfield has benefited from a £30 million improvement scheme which includes work on a £5 million new orthopaedic unit: this includes space for a new accident and emergency unit to replace the one at Bury General.

Some medical services will be shared between Bury and Rochdale Health Care NHS Trusts.

Main sites at Fairfield and Rochdale Infirmary would each provide "core" services including accident and emergency, intensive care, general medicine, general surgery, care of the elderly, maternity and paediatrics.

Shared services could include cancer treatment, cardiology, rheumatology, rehabilitation, renal services and urology.

If building work starts as planned in 1999, services at Bury will be gradually relocated.

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