Save Chorley A&E

Unite members are leading the battle to reopen the Chorley District Hospital A&E.

The A&E was closed on April 18, when Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust, which runs Chorley and Preston hospitals, reported that they had insufficient doctors to cover rotas at both.

The Trust has claimed the closure is temporary and the department will reopen in late August. Campaigners are unconvinced and have also rejected claims by the Trust that their campaigning is harming attempts to recruit extra doctors.

News that the A&E was to close came as no great shock to Unite members Steve Turner or Andy Birchall, who are secretary and chair of Chorley and District Trades Council respectively.

Both have been defending the NHS for years, stepping up their activities when the Tories introduced the 2012 health and social care Act that has removed barriers to privatisation by giving GPs control of ÂŁ65 billion of the NHS budget and legally requiring them to contract out services for patients.

The result is that an US-style privatised care service is being imposed.

Chorley community bands together with Unite to fight A&E closure

Vehicle for involvement

In 2014, Steve and Andy established the Protect Chorley Hospital Against Cuts and Privatisation group and began distributing leaflets and holding street stalls and local meetings. When it was announced that the A&E was to be closed and downgraded to an urgent care centre, which can only treat minor injuries and illness, the group acted swiftly.

“We believe switching to an urgent care centre is part of an intended reconfiguration of NHS services right across Lancashire,” Steve explained. “By announcing a ‘temporary’ closure the Trust has avoided the legal requirement to publicly consult local people.

“Many people were angry and we became a vehicle for people to get involved. The numbers on our Facebook page leapt from 825 to over 16,000 and we began holding weekly protests each Saturday outside the hospital.”

Following a 3,500 strong demonstration through Chorley the previous weekend, the tenth such protest outside the hospital was held on Saturday (June 18). It attracted over 250 people and was a lively, colourful event with protestors waving banners and placards and in return receiving numerous signals of support from passing motorists who sounded their horns as they drove by.

“People are unconvinced that the Trust will reopen the A&E,” Andy noted. “They also reject the Trust’s claim that our protests are making it difficult to attract staff. Any doctors considering coming here would see that they would be welcomed with open arms by local people and that must be heartwarming.”

Saturday’s protest included Hannah Zadlo, who arrived in the UK from Poland ten years ago and worked as a health care assistant – including at Chorley hospital – until recently starting a nursing degree at University.

“I know the situation in many hospitals is not great,” he said. “I think that the NHS as a free service paid from general taxation is something that should be retained. There are many local families with children and when something serious happens then the sooner they get treated the better.”

Social contract cornerstone

Peter Maddock of the Lancashire Unite community branch (pictured) has been a regular protestor. He had to retire on medical grounds from his job as a park ranger with Chorley Borough Council a decade ago.

“As I suffer from septicaemia then I have needed to use Chorley A&E,” Peter explained. “I have been lucky it is nearby and one time I was subsequently told I would not have survived a trip to somewhere further afield.”

Mick Morgan, who is chair of Peter’s branch, believes what is happening in Chorley is mirrored nationally.

“The NHS, which I rely on as I had a serious accident in 2009, is the cornerstone of the social contract established after the Second World War,” he argued.

“Private companies are taking over the NHS, which is being starved of resources by the government. Fighting to reopen the A&E unit here is part of a larger fight and one we need to win.”

Find out more about their campaing from their Facebook group here.