Have your say at health meeting

Patients and Oldham people can have their say about hospital services at Pennine Acute Trust’s annual public meeting next Tuesday.

The trust runs the Royal Oldham Hospital, Bury’s Fairfield General Hospital, North Manchester General Hospital, and Rochdale Infirmary.

It says the past year was successful, with a reduction in waiting times, a 25 per cent drop in MRSA cases and the first moves to create local centres of excellence.

The annual meeting starts at 6.30pm at the Education Centre, Fairfield General Hospital, Rochdale Old Road, Bury, BL9 7TD. Doors open at 5.30pm.

It is open to members of the public, local patients, organisations and patient groups.

It will be followed at 7pm by a series of informal workshops, hosted by trust board members and clinical staff, who will be on hand to listen to participants’ views and suggestions.

They will look at the Healthy Futures and Making it Better programmes intended to create high-quality health services for residents across the area, infection prevention, and stroke services.

They will also discuss a programme led by the local Strategic Health Authority focusing on improving the quality of care for heart attacks, pneumonia, heart failure, hip and knee replacement and heart-by-pass operations.

Achievements

John Jesky, trust chairman, said: “The topics which we are discussing in the workshops are frequently in the headlines.

“As well as hearing about our achievements, the event gives patients, their relatives and community groups a chance to make their views known to the senior clinicians and managers leading our work.”