I am still waiting to hear from the East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust about the Deerplay Children’s Ward at Burnley General. The plan is to transfer the ward to Blackburn Royal Infirmary.

This has become a radioactive issue, coming on top of the controversial decision to transfer blue light A&E from Burnley to Blackburn in November 2007 which smoulders on.

Children’s outpatient services will still be available at Burnley but children who have to stay in hospital overnight will have to go to Blackburn. Parents and friends in Burnley and Pendle are understandably upset about the extra inconvenience.

But I believe the health and well being of the child trumps every other consideration.

I tell people I am not a clinician and I want to hear what the doctors and nurses think about the proposed set-up.

In the latest Lib Dem leaflet “Enough is Enough!” this translates as:

“I am in no position to pontificate on whether this change is a good or bad thing…”

This is what Pendle’s Labour MP has to say about the closure of our children’s ward. Labour no longer are interested in the well being of Pendle’s residents.

The feeble and inarticulate Lib Dem candidate, Afzal Anwar, even went so far as to chain himself to the railings of Burnley General for 10 hours. He probably figured a picture was worth a thousand of his garbled words.

He went on to warn: “I want to send a message to hospital bosses that I am serious. Ten hours was just a taste of what I will do for the people of Pendle if I become their MP.”

Well, I suppose I’ve got a message for hospital bosses too.

I wrote to Diane Whittingham, the Acting Chief Executive of the East Lancashire NHS Hospitals Trust, on 13 April.

I said this: “I have received this letter from Pendle Borough Council which is self explanatory. (It expressed concern about the closure of the Burnley Children’s Ward)

“Now that Parliament has been dissolved, I am no longer an MP and I shall not be responding to Stephen Barnes’ letter in that capacity. However, it would be helpful to know if the transfer has the support of all the relevant clinical bodies and if there are reservations, what these are.”

“I would be grateful for any information you can let me have.”

There are nine days to go to the election.

If the NHS has anything to say on the matter, they should speak now.