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A Christmas cracker for hospital staff

Jenny Kirby
13/12/2006

WHAT a Christmas cracker!

It's the best festive gift we could have wished for!

That's the view of East Cheshire NHS Trust chairman after a resolution which could safeguard women and children's services at Macclesfield Hospital was given the go-ahead.

Kathy Cowell said: "We are delighted the joint committee realised East Cheshire's unique elements, and it was influential they looked at Central and Eastern Cheshire as a whole.

"I also want to say a big thank you to the Macclesfield Express for your support, the MPs, Councillors Brendan Murphy and Muriel Clampett who kicked off the campaign, and to our clinicians, nurses and midwives."

Certain milestones Macclesfield Hospital have to reach will now be discussed and include a 'gold standard' of 60 hours consultant cover on the labour ward.

"We will sit down with the PCT and Leighton Hospital to see how best we can achieve these and in what time scale, but we are confident.

"Our destiny is now in our hands and I am so pleased we have been given the opportunity - this is the best Christmas present we could ask for," she added.

Chief executive John Wilbraham was "delighted" Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT added the resolution to look at the continued commissioning of services from Macclesfield Hospital.

He said: "We are very pleased we have been provided with the opportunity to continue to provide first class services into the future, although we are obviously disappointed that Option D was not chosen.

"It is clear the trust has a significant amount of work to do with its health partners across the region to assess the impact of this resolution."

The trust will now be working closely with the PCT to draw up a service model to ensure they continue to provide 24/7 inpatient children's and maternity services locally.

And he is confident it will be business as usual for the foreseeable future.

He also thanked staff for their continued hard work through this very difficult and uncertain time and acknowledged the overwhelming support shown to the hospital by the community.

Midwife Gaynor Warren, who was instrumental in organising the Pram Push through Macclesfield, said: "I am over the moon. It will take a while to sink in, but we can do this. It is sad for any unit that has to close but a huge relief for us. It is fantastic."