A COUNCIL chief claims he was kept in the dark by opposition councillors over the future of hospital services in the Valley.

At a meeting of the council, councillors were told a working group called Rossendale Hospital Group' had been set up to look specifically at issues affecting the Rawtenstall-based hospital.

But Rossendale Council leader Coun Duncan Ruddick said he knew nothing about the special meeting organised by Rossendale Community Network earlier this week and demanded to know under whose authority the new working group had been set up.

David Hancock, leader of the Labour group, said he attended the meeting on the invite of Rossendale Community Network.

The group, which is involved in formal hospital review consultations taking place in Burnley, Blackburn, Bury and Rochdale, represents the community's and group views. It called the meeting to discuss concerns over the closures of the rehabilitation ward one, ward six, for people with dementia and ward 11, the mental health ward.

The meeting was headed Dorothy Mitchell, founder of Rossendale Hospice and leader of the health and well-being sub-group on the network.

People fear the ward closures could lead to a permanent closure of the hospital.

Coun Ruddick said: "I would like to know under whose authority has this working group been set up.

"We had a resolution at the special council meeting last week about this issue so I am staggered to find the leader of the opposition setting up meetings that the leader of the council knows nothing about."

Coun Hancock replied: "Rossendale Community Network was chartered to look into this. I was pleased to be there at the meeting and invited to take part but I don't know why this has been channelled around me.

"This is a big issue that is important to the people of Rossendale. Whether I set it up or not is a complete irrelevance. I hope this group achieves what it's setting out to do which is to get a hospital service in Rossendale not only in the short term but for many years ahead and that to me is more important than the stupid comment that's just been made."

Coun Ruddick said a meeting would be set up with Coun Hancock and Dorothy Mitchell to discuss the issue further.