A REVIEW of Burnley General Hospital’s Urgent Care Centre will begin this month, despite critics claims it will be a “whitewash”.

The assessment, to be completed by March 30, will be led by Professor Matthew Cooke, the national director for emergency and urgent care, and Dr Irving Cobden, medical director at Cumbria Primary Care Trust.

Pendle MP Gordon Prentice secured the internal investigation, which will be carried out and published by the strategic health authority, NHS North West.

He pressed the Health Secretary Andy Burnham for an independent clinical review of the 2007 move to shut Burnley’s accident and emergency unit, and to use only the Royal Blackburn Hospital to serve East Lancashire’s 500,000 population.

But the Government refused and said the terms of reference would look strictly at the functioning of Burnley’s urgent care centre.

Mr Prentice said: “Some people will say this review is a complete whitewash and will have nothing to do with it.

“Others, and I include myself here, recognise it is a second best but will nevertheless take the opportunity to highlight the failings of the current set-up and push for reinstatement of A&E at Burnley.

“Blue light A&E could return to Burnley if accompanied by a publicly available protocol stating which conditions could be treated there and which would have to go elsewhere.

“This is a straightforward and workable solution which is crying out to be considered properly. It should not be dismissed as eccentric.”

NHS North West said “relevant” staff and patient groups, as well as local and national politicians, would have the opportunity to contribute to the review.

Gordon Prentice said: “I have concerns about the meaning of the word ‘relevant’ in this context and also whether any information will be withheld.

“The Conservative Shadow Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, has said on the record that he believes there is no reason why Burnley should not have its A&E back. I hope he will give evidence.

“I also hope the Liberal Democrats will participate. I know that my own colleagues in the Labour Party, such as my friend Peter Pike who has battled for years against the over centralisation at Blackburn, will make their voices heard.

“Now is the time for people to speak out.”

Former hospitals trust chairman and fellow campaigner Ian Woolley, said it was “deplorable” that Andy Burnham had called on the strategic health authority to conduct the review.

He said: “Any logical person, dedicated to finding a solution to this problem would recognise the sense of having a truly independent review.

“NHS North West will have to work very hard to avoid this review being labelled a whitewash.”