Health written question – answered at on 1 February 2011.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to make a decision on the future of (a) the accident and emergency unit and (b) the maternity unit at Rochdale Infirmary.
This is a matter for the local national health service.
This Government are committed to devolving power to local communities-to the people, patients, general practitioners (GPs) and councils who are best placed to determine the nature of their national health services locally. The Government have pledged that all service changes must be led by clinicians and patients, not be driven from the top down. To this end, we have outlined new, strengthened tests that decisions on NHS service changes must meet.
They must focus on improving patient outcomes; consider patient choice; have support from GP commissioners; and be based on sound clinical evidence.
We have asked the local NHS to look at how schemes that are ongoing meet these new tests-including those that impact on the Rochdale Infirmary, namely Healthy Futures.
We are clear that services should be driven by the need to improve patient outcomes. NHS North West board has agreed that the evidence provided for Healthy Futures has met the four tests and should therefore proceed.
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