The petition of residents of Bishop Auckland, Shildon and surrounding areas,
Declares that Bishop Auckland General Hospital should have a midwife led maternity unit, breast screening services and an urgent care centre.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the County Durham & Darlington Foundation Trust to guarantee a midwife-led maternity unit, breast screening services and an urgent care centre for the next 10 years.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Helen Goodman, Official Report, 25 November 2015; Vol. 602, c. 1457.]
[P001570]
Observations from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Ben Gummer):
The commissioning and provision of local health services is a matter for the local NHS. This Government are committed to devolving decision-making about local NHS services to local clinicians and communities. GPs, clinicians, patients and local authorities are best placed to determine the nature of their NHS services.
The NHS must however be able to respond flexibly to changes in clinical care and patient populations by providing services that meet current needs. The safety of services must always be a priority.