Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced today that Trafford General’s accident and emergency unit will be closed, just six days after the hospital celebrated its 65th birthday.
Despite the closure being widely unpopular among the Trafford community, Mr Hunt confirmed to MPs in the House of Commons that closure plans would go ahead providing that nearby A&E units consistently meet national waiting time targets.
He said: “The decision to close Trafford General’s A&E unit is supported by the Trafford Clinical Commissioning Group.
“Sometimes it is necessary to make tough decisions for the benefit of the people in the area.
“I have listened to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel and local doctors and decided to take their advice.”
The plans will see the complete removal of Trafford General’s A&E unit between midnight and 8am, while the rest of the time it will become an urgent care unit before eventually be downgraded to a minor injuries unit.
Kate Green, MP for Stretford and Urmston, missed the start of the announcement after Mr Hunt only alerted the house of his statement this morning.
Mr Hunt was condemned by fellow MPs for his lack of warning meaning that people in Trafford was unable to hear his statement first hand.
After rushing to return to the commons, Ms Green said: “This is a highly contentious issue and I would like to seek assurances that the drawn-out transition process outlined by these plans will not lead to a diminution in services at Trafford General.
“Doubts and fears over the hospital’s future have already caused a downward spiral in the number of patients going to Trafford General and in turn to the level of service provided.”
Several MPs, including Ms Green, raised concerns about the demands Trafford General’s closure would place on other A&E units in the Greater Manchester area.
However Mr Hunt insisted the rise in patients would be manageable stating that each A&E unit will have to treat around 25 extra patients each day following the closure at Trafford General.
Campaign chairman Matthew Finnegan believes that Trafford General, considered to be the birthplace of the NHS after treating the first patient in 1948, could now face a fight for its existence.
Mr Finnegan said: “It is tearing the heart out of the hospital, the birthplace of the NHS, and that means that the hospital’s future is in real danger.
“It will mean that patients will have to travel further and wait longer for treatment.
“These decisions can’t just be made by clinicians – they have got to listen to what local people say.
“People want an A&E; it’s not an unreasonable request. Local people will be appalled and disgusted that they have not been listened to.”
Image courtesy of Culture, Media and Sport Office, with thanks.
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