Burnley MP quizzes Prime Minister over Burnley General Hospital A&E closure

BURNLEY MP Gordon Birtwistle has quizzed the Prime Minister on whether hospital services would be allowed to be transferred from Burnley to Blackburn under the Localism Bill – legislation which would give more power to the people.

By The Newsroom

Published 27th Jan 2011, 11:14 BST

During Prime Minister’s Questions Mr Birtwistle said: “Does the Prime Minister agree that what has happened in Burnley with the closure of our accident and emergency unit and the transfer of a children’s ward to Blackburn will not happen when people power takes over, with our GPs, to change the national health service?”

Mr Cameron replied: “The honorable gentleman is entirely right. Under the previous Government, hospital closures and decisions were driven by bureaucrats in Whitehall, strategic health authorities and PCTs, and they did not depend on decisions that patients and GPs were making about the structure of health services in this country. That is the big change we are making. In future, the success of hospitals and health centres will depend on the choices that people make with their GP, that is the big change and it will drive a better health service.”