so here we are in october..... and the predicted closure has not happened. More shroud waving by people who should know better.

   if wards in rochdale infirmary are to be closed, people in rochdale should be told exactly what is happening, and how closing wards (which have only recently been opened) is going to save money in the long term. Making a woman in labour travel to oldham to have a baby is disgraceful.

   I am deeply upset about these major cuts made by people who do not know or understand what ROCHDALE people have paid for and want. I am a Rochdalian and am proud of my heritage. This is being taken away from future generations to be born in Rochdale unless they have a risky home birth or lose their identity to another town. Birch Hill Hospital was sold off - Where has the money gone? Who will pay for transport for family members who need to visit sick children and babies?I am sick of money being wasted. This is a non-starter.

   Me and my partner are expecting our first baby on the 30th August at Rochdale. If it is true about closing the maternity unit we should have been the first to know!

   once again the fat cats managers get their wages and ground level staff have to suffer where does patient safety ever come into these decisions ~

   I am expecting my first baby in November and the first question that pops into my mind is, which delivery unit will I be sent to? I am appauled with the decision to shut Rochdale and at the same time am very worried about where I will be sent. As an employee of the ambulance service I am aware of the current divert operations that exist and the impact of this on an already over stretched ambulance service. Perhaps a home birth is the answer??!!

   SO it appears that the "Health for All" 'consultation was a cynical PR exercise after all - and run at the expense of tax/ratepayers - Why am I not surprised ? so much for Labour protecting the working class - they are ultimately responsible - we have yet to see the full effect of migrating responsibility for hospital building /management to the PFI's - unfortunately Mr Blair/Brown will be on their protected pensions by then !!

   The PAT cannot cope with the four materinty units it has now, they are diverting between each other all the time because they are full, there has been occasions when all four units across the PAT were full or had staff shortages and other areas i.e. St Marys & hope Maternity units have been asked to accept PAT patients. So if we close Rochdale this just adds to the problems for the Patients in the PAT area. The four A/Es within PAT do the same when they are overloaded with Patients they divert to other A/E departments. The only people to suffer are the Patients and their relatives.

   I am also a senior consultant working in PAT. I can spot shroud waving when I see it. When will the general public realise that the north of manchester cannot keep four intensive care units, four A+E units, four maternity units, etc open? There are not or will not be enough medical staff to run all the units egffectively. What dio you want people? A quality service in one location or poor quality scattered through the area? And incidently, the services reviews have nothing to do with the current financial problems that the Trust has.

   So who do we believe ?? a well respected Consultant who has dedicated 35 years of his life to caring and looking after his patients with nothing to gain for speaking out for our future generation ., or a management trying desperately to get themselves out of a huge mess by selling our healthcare on ?? I know were my vote goes and give thanks to Dr Zaklama for his strength & honesty Cllr Jean Ashworth