Misrepresentation of the Ormskirk Option Calls into Question Consultation Process on Accident and Emergency Services

The omission from the consultation document of the new Urgent Treatment Centre that would be provided in North Sefton if adult Accident and Emergency was moved to Ormskirk hospital calls into question the whole consultation exercise say Our West Lancashire.

OWL Chairman, Councillor Adrian Owens said, “The consultation document misrepresents the provision of future accident and emergency care if the Ormskirk option was chosen.  The Chief Executive of Mersey and West Lancashire NHS Trust stated in a consultation meeting last week that an Urgent Treatment Centre would be provided in North Sefton but mention of this Urgent Treatment Centre is completely absent from the consultation document. This paints the Ormskirk option in an inaccurate and disadvantageous light.”

“I have written to the Chief Executive of the Trust and others involved in the consultation process.   The consultation document must be urgently updated and those residents who have already submitted responses should be contacted and given the opportunity to update their responses.  Anything less must call into question the suitability of the consultation process.”

Councillor Owens added that concerns had already been raised by Our West Lancashire about an imbalance in the consultation events organised especially the lack of public consultation events in Burscough and UpHolland.  He added that these concerns had been echoed by the Borough Council Leader who had also formally written to the consultation organisers.