Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government who was consulted over the decision taken by the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust to close the accident and emergency department at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital.

Proposals to temporarily close the accident and emergency department at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital were discussed at a senior level within the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Fylde Coast Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and NHS England and NHS Improvement during March 2020, in light of the emerging COVID-19 pandemic.

The decision to temporarily reconfigure services at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital was taken via a virtual meeting of the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Board on 26 March 2020, under emergency powers in response to the pandemic. The aim was to address patient safety issues and make the critical care service more sustainable in managing the expected increase in COVID-19 patients who need critical. The decision was communicated to staff on the same day with two press statements being added to websites and further shared via email to range of stakeholders, including local media, hon. Members, local councillors, integrated care system and integrated care provider colleagues, neighbouring trusts and CCGs and the North West Ambulance Service between 27 and 31 March 2020.