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BUSY DAY: Patients’ Council chairman Paul Mainwaring talks about the Healthy Futures plans to Alan Bowie at the information bus.
Battle stations
Frank Wood1/ 2/2006
HEYWOOD folk were invited to 'climb aboard' on Monday as a team set out to convince them that changes in hospital and community services could be good for their health.
But the exercise, aimed at giving people the lowdown on the NHS's controversial Healthy Futures and Making It Better programmes, was off to a slow start. And even the single-decker bus being used as a mobile information centre throughout the Pennine Acute Trust's area needed a spot of surgery itself when the generator gave up the ghost before it headed for the Dunnes car park.
It was supposed to be stationed in Heywood from 10am to 4pm, but that was chopped to 1pm to 4pm because of the repair delay.
But Paul Mainwaring, chairman of the Patients' Council representing the public, says the bus will be visiting Heywood at least seven times before consultation ends in April and will switch between locations such as Hopwood, the market, Back o'th' Moss and Summit.
The main aim of the bus team, which included people from the NHS and the Patients' Council, is to hammer home to people that it is vital they get involved in the public consultation.
Thousands of forms, together with a magazine-style fact sheet, are now available to pick up from GP surgeries, dentists, pharmacies and main libraries.
It was being stressed to people visiting the bus that, out of three options, the one favoured by a joint committee of primary care trusts is one in which Fairfield Hospital will keep its accident and emergency and acute medicine services. However, acute surgery, obstretrician-led maternity care and special baby care will move to a more distant hospital.
Mr Mainwaring said: "The main things Heywood people are worried about are losing special care for babies and the issue of transport if they have to go further for some specialist services.
"But when we show them the favoured option, they see that a lot of things will not change. Nevertheless, transport is a major issue for Heywood and that will need to be improved before any of these changes can happen."
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11/02/2006 at 09:15