At a meeting of St.Helens Council last night there was all-party support in the fight to keep the Whiston Hospital burns unit.
The unit at Whiston Hospital has been left off a shortlist, missing out on becoming a ‘supra’ centre. This means that the most severely burnt patients face a journey hike to Manchester or even Wakefield 70 miles away for often life-saving treatment.
The unit at Whiston has been left off the shortlist by The Northern Burn Care Network.
The Council supported two motions calling on Andy Burnham, the Health Secretary to scrap plans to locate the Regional Burns Unit away from Whiston.
Council Leader Brian Spencer said: “There are deep concerns that if Whiston loses its burns unit the hospital may be downgraded to such an extent that funding would become a major issue. It is a nationally renowned unit. If the unit goes then a lot of specialism would go with it. It is a disgrace.”
In a letter sent today (July 9) by the Council’s Chief Executive, Carole Hudson, the Council:
Condemns the decision not to include Whiston Hospital on the short list for the major burns unit.
Calls on the Secretary of State for Health to intervene and ensure that the provision of the Major Burns Unit is maintained at Whiston Hospital without any of the facilities being downgraded.
Is concerned that no proper business case has been developed or presented to the Council to support the recommendation to centralise a Burns Unit in Manchester.
Says that the Hospital will be left with significant financial problems as it now has a newly built Burns Unit with a PFI tariff to pay.
The Council adds that if the Burns Unit is lost to St Helens, then other services will be lost including the services of leading burns specialists and facial reconstruction surgeons who are responsible for the reconstruction of facial features damaged by both cancer and burns. It is a serious loss of service to Merseyside and will cause local people long travelling distances, for both patients and relatives, over what is often a very lengthy stay.
The Council considers that consultation processes have been inadequate and that the final recommendations should be subject to detailed local scrutiny.
The Council urges the PCT, at it’s meeting of 21st July 2009, to reject any proposal to remove any burns facilities from Whiston Hospital and to oppose the centralisation of burns facilities in Manchester.
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