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Increased risk fears for A and E
Beatriz Ayala28/11/2006
LITTLEBOROUGH and Whitworth residents will be hardest hit if the Infirmary's A&E department is downgraded.
Mike Finnigan, the lead clinician for accident and emergency care, said that patients having to go out of town for urgent care would mean 'slightly worse outcomes.'
He said there would be increased risk for people in the north and east of Rochdale. The rest of the population, however, would benefit, especially where heart attacks were concerned.
He was speaking at a packed public meeting organised by the Friends of Our Hospital at St Mary's Church, Littleborough, when members of the public, NHS staff and patients discussed provisional proposals to downgrade the Infirmary's accident and emergency department.
Representatives from the Pennine Acute Trust, local Primary Care Trust, Healthy Futures consultation team and North West Ambulance Service were among the panelists.
Mr Finnigan said, based on patient postcodes, the average extra travel time to the Royal Oldham Hospital or Fairfield General in Bury would be one-and-a-half minutes. The maximum estimated extra travel time would be 10 minutes.
Tim Butcher, head of the North West Ambulance Service, said they carried out their own travel time survey. He said: "The south and west of Rochdale will not be adversley affected.
"The maximum increase in time would be eight minutes, although that does not mean in some circumstances it will not be higher.
"During rush hour, there would be an increase time of 14 minutes and roadworks mean it could increase further."
Mr Butcher said he understood longer travel times meant increased risk, but getting the right treatment from the right people at the right time decreased risk.
He said the ambulance service supported the downgrading, but only with extra resources, clear protocols between clinicians and paramedics and additional training for staff.
Councillor Pauline Maguire asked: "Are ambulance staff prepared to take this risk? They are going to have to make the decision to take them to the right hospital."
One ambulance driver in the audience said: "I work round here. We are not on board with this and we don't agree with any of this."
Angela Slater, who spent 20 years as a manager at the Infirmary, said: "I'm beginning to feel very concerned because I feel the leaders themselves are concerned about whether the correct option has been chosen.
"I can't help thinking it's pie in the sky and just a strategy because we don't know how it's going to work.
"How can you convince us you are doing the right things for the population as a whole?"
Speaking after the meeting, Father Arthur Nearey, Friends chairman, said: "The people of Rochdale are afraid. Without a full range of services we will suffer.
"They listened to us and we listened to them, but Rochdale is now asking them to convince us."
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5/12/2006 at 11:22
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