A Cumbrian MP has written to the Health Secretary urging him to drop proposals to merge two hospitals used by those in the south of the county.
Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, has written to Health Secretary Matt Hancock after the Government announced plans last October to replace the Royal Lancaster Infirmary and Royal Preston Hospital with ‘either a single or two hospitals’.
It has prompted fears that key health services could be moved further away from residents.
Mr Farron vowed to fight the plans with nearly 3,000 local residents signing his petition demanding the Government shelve the plans.
However when asked about plans to merge the two hospitals onto a single site at a recent meeting of Lancashire County Council’s health scrutiny committee, the executive director of the Lancashire and South Cumbria new hospitals programme said that “at this stage, I don’t think we can rule out any option”.
In a letter to Mr Hancock, Mr Farron said: “I’m deeply alarmed to see plans to shut the Royal Lancaster Infirmary rear their ugly head again.
“While investment in our local NHS is badly needed, this simply cannot result in local residents having to travel even further to access vital health services like A&E.
“I am therefore urging you to immediately back down and announce that your Government will no longer be seeking to close the Royal Lancaster Infirmary.”
