BURNLEY MP Peter Pike and his wife Sheila paid their annual visit to Burnley General Hospital.

Every year since 1983, when he was first elected to serve Burnley, Mr Pike has visited the hospital over the Christmas period.

Mr Pike said he was keen to hear Burnley Health Care Trust's plans and proposals to improve and develop services for patients and to see how increased Government funding was being spent. In the morning, Mr and Mrs Pike met senior nurse in surgical services Roger Spencer and visited the accident and emergency department.

After lunch with trust chairman Brian Foster and chief executive David Chew, they discussed the proposed phase five scheme with Stephen Brookfield, project manager, Terry Finch, estates services manager and Neil Mattewman, service manager in medical specialities.

Picture: Burnley MP Peter Pike chats to patient Michael Walker from Bacup