Concerned about local health services? Speak up as information bus heads to towns across South Lakeland and North Lancashire (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Concerned about local health services? Speak up as information bus heads to towns across South Lakeland and North Lancashire

11:49am Wednesday 20th March 2013 in News By Ellis Butcher, Reporter

AN INFORMATION bus rolls into Kendal tomorrow (Thursday) to give the public a chance to help decide where local health services are based in the future.

It is one of the first opportunities for the public to make their preferences heard ahead of a planned reorganisation later this year.

Lakes MP Tim Farron believes the review represents the best chance of drawing expertise and more services into the Westmorland General Hospital.

Barrow MP John Woodcock has concerns that one outcome of the review could be a downgrading of Furness General Hospital's consultant-led maternity unit, which has already seen an opposition group form.

The bus is visiting Grange today (Wednesday) between 11am and 3pm and is travelling under the 'BetterCare Together' slogan.

Questionaires are also being put into GP surgeries and hospitals for completion. They can be requested by emailing luke.taylor@tns-bmrb.co.uk or calling 01539 715219.

The review is also part of the groundwork for the arrival of new Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG's) which come into effect from April.

But it is also timely due to ongoing issues at the trust which operates hospitals in Kendal, Barrow and Lancaster.

Last week it announced it has to make £30 million pounds worth of 'savings' before April 2014 as a result of its spend on putting right problems in the trust as well as meeting efficiency targets.

Grange GP, Dr Hugh Reeve heads up the Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group.

He said: "There are some difficult decisions to be made about how we provide health services both inside and outside hospitals in future. "It is important we know what local people think and what their priorities are. We would therefore encourage people to come and talk to us on the information bus as it visits their area."

Morecambe doctor, Alex Gaw, for NHS North Lancashire CCG, said the review would focus not on historic arrangements, but 'what is best and safest for patients based on the current evidence.'

The bus visits the following locations: Grange-over-Sands Library, Grange Fell Rd, Grange-over-Sands, LA11 6BQ - 11am to 3pm on Wednesday 20th March.

Kendal Town Centre, Stricklandgate, Kendal, LA9 4NB - noon to 2.15pm on Thursday 21st March.

ASDA Superstore, Burton Road, Kendal, LA9 7JA - 3.30pm to 6pm on Thursday 21st March.

Booths, The Old Station, Victoria Street, Windermere, LA23 1QA - 11am to 3pm on Friday 22nd March.

Outside the Town Hall, Duke Street, Barrow-In-Furness, LA14 2LD - 10.30am to 4.30pm on Saturday 23rd March.

Joss Lane Car Park, Sedbergh, LA10 5AS, 10.30am to 12.30pm on Monday 25th March.

Booths, Dodgeson Croft Road, Kirkby Lonsdale, LA6 2HG - 2.30pm to 4.30pm on Monday 25th March.

Sainsbury's Superstore, 253 Lancaster Road, Morecambe, LA4 5TJ - 10.30am to 1pm on Tuesday 26th March.

Tesco Superstore, Lodge Quarry, Lancaster Road, Carnforth, LA5 9LD - 3pm to 4.30pm on Tuesday 26th March.

Booths, Cherestanc Square, Park Hill Road, Garstang, PR3 1EF - 11am to 3pm on Wednesday 27th March.

Further details can be found at www.bettercaretogether.co.uk