When Burnley General Hospital’s Deerplay Children’s Ward closed in December 2010 all the little in-patients transferred to Blackburn. And that, says Andrew Lansley, is where they will stay.

The proposed closure of Deerplay exploded as an issue in March 2010, in the run up to the General Election.

Gordon Birtwistle, now the Lib Dem MP for Burnley and self styled “hospital campaigner”, vowed to fight to keep Deerplay open. Last November he declared:

“Once I have secured the stay of the children’s ward I will then begin heavy campaigning for the return of A&E services (to Burnley General).”

 Andrew Stephenson, now the Conservative MP for Pendle, urged Andrew Lansley to

“step in and help resolve the situation in a sensible and common sense fashion.”

So, where does this leave the hapless Birtwistle?

His colleague, Burnley’s Health Scrutiny councillor, Darren Reynolds, now wants him to resign in protest. Reynolds tells the Lancashire Telegraph today:

“I’m ashamed to have been associated with this. Burnley’s MP now has to decide how he is going to react to it. I think he should insist Nick Clegg intervenes and resign his position in the Government.”

Pigs may fly.

Birtwistle says Reynolds is "upset" and is blaming the "wrong government".

Yesterday (9 May) Birtwistle limply asked Lansley for an assurance that the closure of A&E units and children’s wards

…will not happen again under this new regime

Lansley says the Coalition inherited a programme from the previous government, that was, in effect, a fait accomplis that is

“impossible to change”

The gullible Birtwistle is swallowing the line for the Children’s Ward and will, in due course, do so for the A&E closure.

Birtwistle and Stephenson have been invited to give an account of themselves at “Save Our NHS” meetings in Burnley and Nelson on Tuesday 24 May. (see attachment)

Pressing Parliamentary business will, no doubt, keep them away.

Attachments:

irp lancs east referral advice january 2011.pdf	[IRP advice on Deerplay 21 January 2011]	59 Kb
SaveOurNHSMtg.pdf	[Save Our NHS meetings]	119 Kb