THE possible merger of hospital services in Burnley and Blackburn could mean more patients travelling from one town to the other if they need specialist medical care. The NHS is considering making the move as part of a nationwide shake-up. If the plans go ahead, specialist services would be located at either Burnley or Blackburn, but not both, sparking fears that one of the hospitals could lose vital front-line services such as casualty or intensive care. But, as PAUL SMITH reports, co-operation between hospitals in Burnley and Blackburn has been looming for several years.

THERE'S nothing more likely to guarantee a good headline in East Lancashire than telling people in Burnley they are having to throw their lot in with Blackburn and vice versa.

The rivalry between East Lancashire's two principal towns is well documented.

So eyebrows were no doubt raised when the Lancashire Evening Telegraph revealed that NHS bosses are considering merging the Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust with neighbouring Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale.

But in reality, co-operation between the two areas has existed for many years and has been successful - and that's according ton of the independent bodies set up to represent the interests of patients.

The 1990s have seen ever-increasing joint working between the hospitals in different parts of East Lancashire.

Health bosses have already 'federated' the following services:

From April, 1995, all oral surgery inpatient cases in East Lancashire were centred in Blackburn and patients from Bolton and Bury also travel to the town.

The service at Blackburn will be further strengthened this year with the introduction of a tele-medicine service, allowing casualty doctors from peripheral hospitals to receive expert clinical advice from the base at Blackburn, using computer and video links. From April, 1996, the integration of ear nose and throat (ENT) and eye treatment (ophthalmology) across East Lancashire came into effect.

Inpatient treatment for ENT services was centralised at Blackburn Royal Infirmary, while ophthalmology surgery was centred at Burnley. Outpatient clinics and day surgery continued to be available in both Burnley and Blackburn.

Both child and adolescent and dermatology services were integrated across East Lancashire in April 1996 and are now managed by the Burnley Health Care Trust.

Nigel Robinson, chief officer of the patient watchdog group, the Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Community Health Council (CHC), is in no doubt increased co-operation has worked. He said: "The increased co-operation started with the federation of ENT and ophthalmology and that seems to have worked well.

"There is no doubt it has provided a better and much more focused service with all of the consultants from both areas working together to provide a much wider range of service. Of course fewer people need to become inpatients these days and more which is why this is less of a big issue.

"And of course the M65 motorway has been extended in recent years, which has provided a link from one side of East Lancashire to the other and made travel less of a problem."

The Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale CHC is also happy with the increased co-operation- although there have been warnings that could all change if future plans include the transfer of accident and emergency or intensive care services to one site in Blackburn.

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