Final call on the public consultation (From Messenger Newspapers)

Public consultation on ‘new health deal for Trafford’ ends on October 31

8:00am Wednesday 31st October 2012 in News

TIME will soon be called on the ‘new health deal for Trafford’ public consultation.

With only days left until the NHS consultation which proposes radical changes to services at Trafford General closes, residents are being urged to ensure that they have taken the opportunity to share their thoughts on the proposals.

The consultation, which officially closes at 5pm on 31 October, provides residents with a unique opportunity to respond to the proposed plans of how services will be provided at Trafford General Hospital in the future.

The proposed major changes at Trafford General Hospital include turning its A&E department into an urgent care centre, and this would then become a nurse-led unit for minor illnesses and injuries within three years.

Intensive care and the paediatric observation and assessment unit would be closed and acute surgery would no longer be carried out at the hospital.

Health chiefs claim the proposed changes will ensure that Trafford General Hospital has a bright and secure future. They say it will also enable funds to be released, to enable local GPs to fund a new integrated care system. This would provide more community-based health care services for local residents.

But more than 12,500 people have signed a 'Save Trafford General' petition, demanding that A & E and the other services at Trafford General are retained.

Dr George Kissen, medical director at NHS Trafford said, “I urge local residents to take a few minutes to read through the proposal, fill in the survey, and share their thoughts and views with us.

“It is important that all Trafford residents have had a chance to influence the decision around the future of the local hospital, and which services will continue to be provided there, in a safe and effective way.

“No change at the hospital is not an option. It would be irresponsible of local GPs and clinicians, and go against all our ethics and morale beliefs, to potentially put the lives of our patients at risk by not addressing current issues. We have to take difficult decisions about where and how we should make changes to the current ways of working at the hospital, to ensure that we continue to provide the safest and best quality care services for our patients.

“We want to ensure that the hospital continues to be a vibrant part of the local community, providing the highest levels of safe and quality health care, both today and for future generations to come.

“We believe that this is also what local residents want and expect of the NHS. As such, we hope that people will trust our judgement and back this proposal.”

Fill in the consultation survey online via the dedicated consultation website www.healthdeal.trafford.nhs.uk or, on the free post consultation survey at the back of the hard copy consultation document.

Call 0161 873 6008 or email newhealthdeal@trafford.nhs.uk if you would like a hard copy of the document.