“ Whose Side Are You On? “,  MP Asks Hospital Board"

Warrington North MP HELEN JONES has asked a stark question of each member of the Hospitals Trust Board – “ whose side are you on?”  The MP, who is campaigning to ensure that secret plans to merge Warrington hospital with Whiston are scrapped issued the challenge to Board members over the weekend.  She said:

" I wrote individually to every member of the board on 28 November asking them to state publicly their opposition to any merger on the grounds that it would be contrary to the interests of local people.  Six weeks on and I have only received one response which did not give me that assurance.

The Strategic Health Authority will not unequivocally state that a merger will not take place.  The Hospital Board members can do it for them by stating that they will not support any such proposals.  Board members are responsible for ensuring that the best service is provided for Warrington people.  A merger would lead to services being transferred from the town for what would be of little more than bureaucratic and administrative convenience so it is now time for each and every board member to stand up and be counted.  I am, therefore, asking each one of them,  via the papers of the Guardian to answer the question, whose side are you on?  The people on Warrington deserve a clear reply. "