Agenda and minutes

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any pecuniary interest in respect of matters contained in this agenda.

If you have a pecuniary interest you must withdraw from the meeting. Normally you should leave the room before the business starts to be discussed. You do, however, have the same right to speak as a member of the public and may remain in the room to enable you to exercise that right and then leave immediately. In either case you must not seek to improperly influence a decision on the matter.

There were no declarations of interest received.

The Mayor welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked them for attending this Extraordinary Council Meeting, called to consider the important local issue of the closure of the Accident and Emergency Department at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital. She particularly welcomed the two MPs, Lindsay Hoyle MP for Chorley and Seema Kennedy, MP for South Ribble.

The Mayor sought approval from Members of the Council to the waiving of Standing Orders to allow both MPs to speak during the debate on the closure of the Accident and Emergency Department at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital.

RESOLVED – that the MPs be invited to speak during the Council meeting.

Notice of Motion submitted by Councillors Alistair Bradley and Peter Wilson.

“Chorley Council expresses its alarm at the decision taken by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust to close the Accident & Emergency Department at Chorley & South Ribble Hospital. The Council recognises the importance of the A&E service here in Chorley and is deeply concerned about the impact its closure will have on our residents, in particular the additional burden that will be placed on Preston Hospital and the capacity to deal with all emergency cases in an appropriate manner.  The Council recognises the financial pressures faced by the NHS and the national shortage of doctors, but is deeply concerned that the problem at Chorley & South Ribble appears to be more acute than anywhere else and therefore asks the Trust for an explanation as to why this is the case and what efforts have been made to recruit staff and avoid closure.  Given the concerns about treatment and quality of care for Chorley residents, we ask that the A&E department at Chorley Hospital is re-opened as a matter of urgency.”

In relation to the motion submitted, it is hoped that information will be available from Lancashire Teaching Hospitals and this will be circulated as soon as possible.

Councillor Alistair Bradley, Executive Leader proposed the motion to which an amendment had been included since the publication of the agenda. The revised motion was as follows:

“Chorley Council expresses its alarm at the decision taken by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust to close the Accident & Emergency Department at Chorley & South Ribble Hospital. The Council recognises the importance of the A&E service here in Chorley and is deeply concerned about the impact its closure will have on our residents, in particular the additional burden that will be placed on Preston Hospital and the capacity to deal with all emergency cases in an appropriate manner.  The Council recognises the financial pressures faced by the NHS and the national shortage of doctors, but is deeply concerned that the problem at Chorley & South Ribble appears to be more acute than anywhere else and therefore asks the Trust for an explanation as to why this is the case and what efforts have been made to recruit staff and avoid closure.  Given the concerns about treatment and quality of care for Chorley residents, and the potential uncertainty and impact this could have on staff with regard to jobs, we ask that the A&E department at Chorley Hospital is re-opened as a matter of urgency.”

In addition to the motion, information had been circulated from Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust which responded to the motion from the Council and included a briefing paper which provided some background to the emergency care crisis which was as a result of a major staffing problem. There was a shortage of staff for the rota and it was an unacceptable risk to patient safety to attempt to provide an emergency department service with insufficient doctors. The measures were temporary and the Trust stated that they would continue to do everything possible to secure the staff needed and reinstate the emergency department service at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital.

In addition to the briefing paper, a presentation which had been provided by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals as part of their stakeholder involvement earlier in the day, was circulated to Members. This provided a more detailed and up to date account of the staffing problems; measures undertaken to try and manage those problems including a timeline of actions; issues in relation to ensuring patient safety; detailed recruitment actions; and activity and performance information for the emergency service at the Hospital.

In opening the debate and presenting the motion, Councillor Bradley referred to first becoming aware informally of staffing problems at the hospital at the end of March but that it wasn’t until 12 April that the full extent of the problems and the possibility of the closure of A & E was announced. When the closure was announced it took place very quickly with no real notice or discussion with local residents. All political parties on the Council had worked together and with the Hospital Trust to try and ensure that A & E services at Chorley Hospital were re-instated as quickly as  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.C.333