Campagners head to Downing Street (From Messenger Newspapers)

Save Trafford General to hand in petition at Downing Street

12:34pm Monday 15th October 2012 in News

CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save services at Trafford General will be heading to Downing Street on Thursday to hand over their protest petition.

A delegation from the Save Trafford General group will carry more than 12,500 signatures from to No 10, demanding that A&E at Trafford General stay open.

Campaign chairman Matthew Finnegan said: ”Health bosses have shown that they will not take a blind bit of notice of the overwhelming public opposition and the unanimous all-party opposition of Trafford Council.

“We have no choice but to go over the heads of health bosses to the Prime Minister to present the Trafford public's case for services to stay open at the birthplace of our NHS.

“We will be asking Mr Cameron to personally intervene to back the views of local people and to stop the current sham of a public consultation in its tracks.”

The campaign is still appealing for all completed petition forms to be returned as soon as possible to 13 Stephen Street in Urmston, where signatures will be added to a separate online petition which already has more than 800 signatures.http://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-a-e The public consultation by health bosses on the 'Making it Better' proposals ends on October 31.

Major changes proposed for the hospital - the birthplace of the NHS - under the new health deal for Trafford include turning the A & E department into an urgent care centre, closing intensive care and the paediatric observation and assessment unit, and no longer carrying out acute surgery.

Health bosses insist the changes will improve healthcare in the borough, providing integrated care.