Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government why maternity and paediatric services at Stafford Hospital are to be transferred to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire within the next few months when the Trust Special Administrator projected a timescale of two to three years for the safe transition of services.

The Trust Special Administrators (TSAs) left local parties to determine the speed of implementation of their recommendations.

There are current and emerging concerns over the safety of certain services at Stafford Hospital, particularly acute surgery, anaesthetics, radiology and paediatrics – all of which a consultant-led obstetrics unit must have available to operate safely.

In line with the planned move of acute surgery and anaesthetics in January 2015, University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust is considering possible arrangements for other services, including maternity and paediatrics.

This takes into account both safety issues and implementation of the Trust Special Administrators’ recommendations. These plans are still to be finalised.