SAFETY issues have forced the closure of Stretford Memorial Hospital.

Outpatient services provided at Stretford Memorial Hospital are to be relocated over concerns for the safety and welfare of patients and staff.

The decision was made last week in light of a review that concluded the site is sufficiently under-utilised and in such poor condition that it is no longer a safe or proper place in which to provide services to patients or for staff to work in.

Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CMFT), who operate the site, said that the number of patients has reduced over time and now equates to less than 14 patients a day.

Limited support available to staff in handling any kind of medical emergency or security incident on the site also influenced the decision to close.

Plans are now in place to transfer clinical services, including dermatology, ophthalmology, respiratory medicine, and diabetes, to elsewhere in the borough. Most services will be reprovided at Trafford General Hospital but patients will also be given the choice of attending clinics at Altrincham Hospital or at the main Central Manchester site.

It is expected that the transfer of services will be completed by the end of October.

“We are taking this prompt action to safeguard our patients and staff,” said CMFT chief nurse Cheryl Lenney.

“Continuing to provide clinical services on the Stretford Memorial site is not currently a safe and viable option. We are working with key partner organisations to put appropriate plans in place to ensure that patients have access to the services they require at neighbouring hospital sites.”

The trust said that the removal of services from Stretford Memorial Hospital is a temporary measure whilst its longer term future is considered.

Cllr Joanne Harding, ward member for Urmston, attended a meeting of Trafford Council’s Health and Wellbeing this week, where CMFT gave a presentation about the closure.

Cllr Harding said that she agrees that the safety of the patients and staff is paramount but criticised the ‘absolutely dreadful’ lack of planning and patient consultation.

“They knew about the situation when they took over the site four years and it is unacceptable that they haven’t planned for this,” she added.

Cllr Harding also questioned CMFT’s assertion that less than 14 patients a day attend the clinics and said that patients north of the borough should not be expected to travel to as far as Altrincham for services.

MP for Stretford and Urmston, Kate Green, said she had spoken with NHS managers about the situation at Stretford Memorial hospital.

She said: “The facilities at Stretford Memorial have been unsatisfactory for a while. Old Trafford residents deserve the best possible healthcare and can’t continue to receive treatment in a hospital that isn’t safe. However, Central Manchester Foundation Trust must make alternative provisions for local patients.

“I know there will be concerns about travel times and capacity at alternative hospitals and NHS managers need to ensure that the local community have adequate access to treatment. I am pressing for patients to be kept fully informed and for proper arrangements to be made.”