THE family of a five-year-old girl who died of a brain tumour have launched a campaign to get the MRI scanner at Blackburn Royal Infirmary opened at weekends.

Laura-Jayne Haworth died at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Pendlebury, in July and her mother believes she would still be alive today if she had not been forced to wait about five hours for the MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scanner to be opened.

Her parents, Robert Haworth, 30, and Jeanette Kirby, 29, of Glenfield Close, Blackburn, have started a petition and have already collected 2,000 signatures. They plan to send it to Health Secretary Frank Dobson and Home Secretary Jack Straw.

The petition asks why the MRI scanner is only open from Monday to Friday and is open at weekends for emergencies only.

Jeanette said: "If Laura-Jayne's case wasn't an emergency, what is an emergency? Laura-Jayne was taken for an X-ray on a Saturday, but she should have gone on the scanner straight away.

"She may still be here today if she had not had to wait five hours for the scanner to be opened.

"We just wanted to do something to stop this happening to another child."

Jeanette said she had taken the petition from house to house in Little Harwood but it got too upsetting for her, so she left copies of the petition in shops in Blackburn.

John Fletcher, radiology services manager at Blackburn Royal Infirmary, said: "We operate the MRI scanner from Monday to Friday as well as some evening sessions. "We don't operate the scanner at weekends because we don't have that level of clinical emergency. In an emergency, patients would be dealt with at other hospitals in the area."

Laura-Jayne's parents are planning to take legal action after claiming she was sent home by doctors who said she was suffering from migraines.

After collapsing at her grandmother's home, she was taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary and was initially treated for a virus.

After having an X-ray, Laura-Jayne had to wait five hours for a head scan, which revealed she had a tumour.

She was taken to the children's hospital in Manchester where doctors told her parents Laura-Jayne's brain was showing no signs of life and the decision was made to turn off her life support machine. Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust is investigating the case and has said it will take any necessary action.

The family is organising a charity night on October 28 at Beechwood Working Men's Club, Philips Road, Blackburn, to raise money for the intensive care unit at Pendlebury.

They have already raised more than £1,500 through a sponsored walk from Darwen to Accrington via Blackburn earlier this month. The night starts at 8pm and tickets are £1 on the door.

There will be a raffle, with prizes including signed footballs from Blackburn Rovers, Everton and Arsenal, a signed Liverpool shirt, a £10 make-over voucher for the Body Shop, and tickets to the Waves Water Fun Centre.

They are still appealing for prizes, and anyone who can help should contact Lynda on 01254 673348 or Jeanette on 01254 602517.

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