COUNCILLORS are seeking hospital "horror stories" to build a dossier on the controversial shake-up of services.

Liberal Democrats from across East Lancashire hope to use the information to force a Healthcare Commission investig-ation into the Meeting Patients' Needs clinical services review.

They said their action had been prompted after they were "inundated" with complaints about the hospital over the festive period.

A website is being set up for people to post their concerns.

Since November, East Lancashire has had just one accident and emergency department, at the Royal Blackburn Hospital, after Burnley General's unit closed. Health bosses said the move would increase patient care as, even if it took longer to get them to hospital, they would get a better quality service on arrival at A&E.

Stories from patients and staff have already been posted on social networking site Facebook. And councillors are appeal-ing for case studies through the website.

In one account on the Facebook site, Colne Councillor Gary Bird claims he was left to "lie on a row of chairs in agony" for more than half an hour at Burnley General Hospital while he waited for an ambulance to take him to Blackburn for treatment for a bowel problem.

Staff at the hospital have also posted complaints, with one nurse saying: "The nurses are leaving in droves, appalled, worn out and deeply saddened by the conditions. I'm not nursing any more. I'm just about managing, whilst I rush from one person to the next."

Earlier this week, it was revealed that ambulances were not getting people to hospital within their target time to administer vital blood clot treatment.

Cancelled operations, traffic chaos and lack of parking at the Royal Blackburn Hospital have also dogged the weeks since the changeover.

Burnley Councillor Darren Reynolds, leading the project with Burnley Council leader Gordon Birtwistle and Pendle councillor and peer Tony Greaves, said changes had been even more problematic than people had feared.

He said: "We will take the information to the hospital management first, but from experience we know in our heart of hearts that we won't get anywhere there. Then we will be pushing for a Healthcare Commis-sion review, or even commissioning an independent expert ourselves.

"What is going on is a slow-motion disaster, even worse than we had expected, and people are having some awful experiences. We have to act.

"We are all Liberal Democrats, but this goes way beyond politics. It's something everyone should be shouting about and we will welcome support from anyone."

Jo Cubbon, chief executive of East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said she welcomed feedback, but had not been formally notified of the campaign.

She said: "These changes were subject to public consultation. They were designed by and are being implemented by our clinicians to improve the quality of health care for the people of East Lancashire.

"I would encourage members of the public to also feed back their views to the trust through the independent Patients' Forum and our own Patient Advice and Liaison Service."

Councillor Reynolds said the site www.itsournhs.co.uk would be running within a week.