THE Government was today accused of "dragging its feet" over a decision which will shape the whole future of hospital services in Blackburn.

A verdict on a £60million proposal to close Blackburn Infirmary and transfer beds and services to develop a single site "super hospital" at Queen's Park was expected by the end of December 1998.

But staff at Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust are still on tenterhooks - more than six months after the decision was first expected.

The health trust needs ministerial approval before it can proceed on its long term plans to revolutionise healthcare in the area. If the plan receives Government support, the building programme will almost certainly be privately funded under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI).

But today the Department of Health was accused of unfairly "dragging its feet" by health watchdogs.

Nigel Robinson, chief officer of Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Community Health Council (CHC), said: "I am extremely concerned about the delay.

"It is not fair on people or the trust itself which will be wanting to carry on with its future plans. It is essential we get services onto one site.

"It appears that people at the Department of Health is dragging its feet." A spokesman for the Department of Health said the delay had been because of "accounting processes relating to the PFI."

But he said an announcement on the Blackburn scheme was imminent.

He said: "The Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust bid is among the third wave of bids that have been made.

"The review of the accounting processes of PFI is effectively complete so an announcement is imminent.

"The hold-up has been for the best of reasons in that the Department of Health has wanted to get everything surrounding the PFI initiative copper-bottomed and watertight."

A single site super hospital at Queen's Park would include 243 inpatient beds, a combined children's unit and six inpatient operating theatres.

The current split site system of two general hospitals has caused a mountain of problems for staff.

More than 16,000 patients are currently transferred by ambulance between the two hospitals every year. Parts of Blackburn Infirmary are more than 130 years old and the accommodation is said to be "inappropriate."

The "duplication" of services and transport between the two sites costs more than £2.5million a year which will be saved by a single site building, although running costs are expected to increase by up to £1.5million.

If ministerial backing is given, then the trust will submit an outline business case and then a full business case.

Building would start in 2002 and would take about three years to finish.

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