Health centre is vital to our village

It has up-to-date facilities and modern equipment. Minor operations, blood tests, regular check-ups, changing dressings along with a Dispensary are all provided.

Yes, Dial-a-Ride Green Bus would be helpful, but can you imagine how many trips to and from Clitheroe it would take each week, everyone with various appointment times to visit the doctor, nurse and collect prescriptions from the chemist.

Many patients are elderly and do not drive any more, so relying on the local bus service, perhaps several times each week if they needed to have dressings changed, would be totally unacceptable.

A journey of up to an hour on the bus, visit to the doctor and return home, could be up to four hours as the bus times are not always compatible.

Friends and neighbours often help by taking them to the surgery, but perhaps would not be so anxious to help out with a journey of up to 20 miles round trip, especially in winter when the roads are often hazardous.

People claim to know the area and cannot see any problems but living and working here is totally different.

Patients travel to Slaidburn because of its excellent facilities and the care they receive. Funding for additional equipment at the Health centre is donated by grateful patients who have lost loved ones. It is also supported by the “Friends” of the Practice who fundraise to provide additional items.

A number of patients owe their lives to a speedy response by the doctor who attended them with specialist knowledge whilst waiting for an ambulance to arrive.

We are not asking for special favours for Slaidburn – just to continue providing a vital service in our rural community for people who should not have to travel to make a round trip of 20 miles to visit a doctor.

Jean Lawson

Slaidburn