Declares that many people in South Lakes have to endure long journeys to the Accident and Emergency units at Royal Lancaster Infirmary in Lancaster and Furness General Hospital in Barrow as the Westmorland General Hospital in Kendal does not have the necessary facilities to cope with the majority of Accident and Emergency cases.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to bring an Urgent Treatment Centre to Westmorland General Hospital, not only to provide urgent care closer to home for South Lakes residents, but to also help relieve pressure on the Accident and Emergency units at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary and Furness General Hospital and ensure ambulances are not stuck waiting there in long queues.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Tim Farron, Official Report, 20 December 2017; Vol. 633, c. 1242.]
[P002094]
Observations from the Minister for Health (Stephen Barclay):
Any potential service change is a matter for the local NHS. It is right that these decisions are led by local clinicians, who best understand the healthcare needs of their local population, and in consultation with local people.
All proposed service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients.
They should also meet the four tests for service change:
They should have support from GP commissioners;
be based on clinical evidence;
demonstrate public and patient engagement; and
consider patient choice.
Morecambe Bay Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has been working closely with NHS England since September 2017, identifying key sites and delivering the operational roll-out for urgent treatment centres across the Morecambe Bay area. The CCG confirms that an urgent treatment centre is planned for the site at Westmorland General Hospital where the Primary Care Assessment Service (PCAS) is currently located. The CCG is working with NHSE on an implementation plan. It is expected that the centre will be operational in Spring 2018.