Health centre ‘confusion’

Mike Rooke... “lost opportunity”

MP and minister clash over future of NHS projects

LABOUR MP Michael Meacher has slammed the coalition Government for halting progress on new health centres in the borough.

In a letter to Andrew Lansley, Secretary of State for Health, the MP asks for clarification on the Government’s stance on delivering planned new projects in Oldham.

He argues that the Conservative MP has deflected blame for the cancellation and that his messages were confusing and contradictory.

The row stems back to a letter he received from Mr Lansley in December, that said Oldham’s primary care trust — NHS Oldham — had prioritised the Werneth centre over developments in Shaw and Saddleworth.

In a reply Michael Meacher says: “Oldham primary care trust clearly had an on-going programme for improving health provision across the borough.

“Sadly this was abruptly curtailed when your government came into power, as you instructed that the trust could no longer enter into any new lease agreements, which of course the LIFT (Local Improvement Finance Trust) projects are.”

He said NHS Oldham is now facing significant abortive costs because the detailed planning work has been carried out.

On a visit to Greenfield on Wednesday, Mr Lansley defended his position.

He denied being contradictory and said he had not stopped primary care trusts from doing what they need to deliver the schemes.

He claimed that his reorganisation of the NHS, which will see primary care trusts abolished and replaced by GP consortiums, would keep such decisions in the borough.

He said: “The health centre decisions will be made locally, they are not going to come from the top.”

Mike Rooke, of the Greenfield and Grasscroft Residents’ Association said: “Local residents and the primary care trust had already agreed the need two years previously for such a facility in Saddleworth.

“Politics and bureaucracy slowed everything down and then removed the opportunity — now it appears we have lost the cash.”

The group believes it had the backing of former MP Phil Woolas but were never convinced that the plans to place the health centre in the new Tesco development had the full support of all ward councillors.