RADICAL proposals to shake-up hospital care came under fire during a Parliamentary debate.
Greater Manchester MP’s slammed the Healthier Together consultation process for being “undemocratic” and pitting hospitals against each other.
The language of the consultation was criticised by David Nuttall, Conservative MP for Bury North, which he described as “unintelligible gobbledegook”.
Julie Hilling, MP for Bolton West, added: “This is simply pitching hospital against hospital to become specialists and whether we have four or five. But actually we want is that good local service.”
Yet care minister Norman Lamb was quick to defend Healthier Together, arguing it was clinician led and that the specilisation of hospitals in London has already saved hundreds of lives.
The Healthier Together consultation, which lasts until September 30, asks the public whether they would like either four or five specialist centres.
These specialist centres will provide emergency and high risk surgery for the surrounding areas.
The Royal Bolton is unofficially in competition with Wigan to become one the “super hospitals” in the north for Greater Manchester.
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