LOOKING towards a better and brighter future Bury and Rochdale Health Authority chiefs have narrowed down the options that will affect hospital patients throughout the two Boroughs. Following a multi-agency meeting at Bury Football Club last Wednesday it seems likely that from a choice of 27, ranging in severity from closing all four hospitals to keeping them all open, their likely choice is to promote Fairfield for Bury and the Infirmary for Rochdale.

There will be lots of public consultation and several more meetings before anything is definitely decided, but it seems likely that Bury General and Birch Hill in Rochdale will be closed.

At the meeting the Authority's original 27 options - which included the controversial closure of all four hospitals in the two boroughs - were whittled down to four, each with three variations.

They will now undergo a six-week evaluation process before detailed information is presented to the same group at a second meeting.

"The review has now reached the stage where some conclusions are being made," said the Health Authority's chief executive Richard Popplewell.

"What we managed to achieve at the meeting was to get everyone together in discussion and get some agreements.

"From the remaining options it was clear that it was desirable to keep hospital services in both towns - including an emergency service in each."

The remaining options now are:

ZTwo main hospitals in Bury and Rochdale with joint service provision for selected specialities.

ZTwo main hospitals in Bury and Rochdale with self-sufficient provision on each site for most services.

ZTwo hospitals to cover Bury and Rochdale, one main hospital with concentrated emergency services and a second site for day cases and less acutely ill patients.

ZOne integrated hospital site for the whole of Bury and Rochdale with all services provided at the one location.

The last option was not acceptable to the two Community Health Councils which maintained that one hospital for the two towns would not have public support.

However, it has been decided to keep the option for further analysis and comparison with other options.

The next multi-agency meeting, which will bring together Health Authority representatives, the Bury and Rochdale Trusts and the two local authorities, will be early in June when the preferred option for change will be chosen.

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