Patients will die

Mono-ranjan Duari, who was a general surgeon at the hospital for more than 30 years, said under-threat beds were "essential" for patient safety.

He hit out at plans which could see intensive care beds, that provide crucial support for emergency patients, move from Burnley General to Queen's Park Hospital in Blackburn.

This would see many surgical and emergency patients taken to Blackburn for treatment.

Mr Duari, who retired from the NHS in 1995, said: "We cannot hope to transport patients from the other side of Burnley or Rossendale because many of them will die on the way."

He went on: "I hope we do not close our hospital and most of the facilities that are essential such as the emergency department, the high dependency unit and the intensive care unit."

Mr Duari spoke at a heated public meeting called to discuss the controversial plans, which have been forward by health bosses as part of a review of all hospital services.

There were calls throughout for a march on the hospital to show the strength of feeling against the plans.

And last night's meeting at Burnley Football Club heard that 12,000 signatures have now been collected by union reps fighting the mooted loss of beds.Hospital managers and doctors have also now agreed to attend public meetings throughout January, Burnley MP Kitty Ussher said in a letter to those in attendance.

Emotions ran high as residents described their experience of Burnley General.

One man said he lived two minutes away from the hospital where he was treated for two heart attacks.

He said: "I if have another heart attack and that means I have to get an ambulance from here to Blackburn, by which time I might no longer be here. I will leave two children."

Tim Ellis, Lancashire representative for public sector union Unison told the crowd of more than 100 people: "If blue light is closed people will die, many hundreds may die actually because of the extended journey time to Blackburn."

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust said Blackburn or Burnley could lose intensive care and high dependency beds under the shake-up but this week vowed to look at whether these could be kept at both sites.

Unison has said Burnley would be the one to lose the beds because of the new £113million extension at Queen's Park, set to open next summer.

The options put forward by the Trust last month are: do nothing; build a new general hospital in East Lancashire; move intensive care beds from one site and move intensive care beds and high dependancy beds from one site. Last week Trust chief executive Jo Cubbon revealed a fifth option was being drawn up, although she would not release more details.

A transport survey has this month been commissioned by the Trust after concerns about the distance people would have to travel if one of the sites loses its intensive care beds.

The proposals are being examined by doctors and managers and a formal 12 week consultation will begin - with the Trust putting forward its preferred choice - on February 5.

Trust chief executive, Jo Cubbon, said this week: "Our aim from the outset has been to work together with our patients, staff, partners and local people to design a top quality, 21st century health service for the population of East Lancashire.

"We recognise there are anxieties about some aspects of the options we have put forward for discussion and we are committed to addressing them."

Views can be put forward on the current options, before December 2, to: Chief Executive, East Lancashire NHS Trust, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, Queen's Park Hospital, Haslingden Road, Blackburn, BB2 3HH.