A PAIR of new MPs have turned up the heat on hospital chiefs after arranging a visit by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley.

Mr Lansley is to attend Burnley General Hospital today, at the request of Burnley MP Gordon Birtwistle and Pendle’s Andrew Stephenson He will tour the Urgent Care Centre and the Deerplay children’s ward, which is under threat of being moved to the Royal Blackburn Hospital.

The MPs hope the visit will step up the pressure on the East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust to halt the closure of the Deerplay ward. And they are hoping for fresh hope in the bid to reopen an A&E at Burnley.

Liberal Democrat MP Mr Birtwistle said: “I’m delighted the Secretary of State is to visit Burnley’s hospital so soon after coming to office.

“As soon as Andrew Lansley was named as the Secretary of State for Health, I contacted him reminding him of the pledges he made regarding Burnley’s hospital services before the election. I’ve hoped he would visit Burnley to see and hear for himself the impact past and planned closures are having on local people.”

Meanwhile, Coun Birtwistle is angry it took a month for chief executive Diane Whittingham to agree to an “urgent” meeting.

Mr Birtwistle believes new criteria introduced by the Government means the planned transfer of the Deerplay ward must be halted.

In a letter written to the head of East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, he said her offer of a meeting in late July was “unacceptable”.

A meeting has since been arranged for later this month.

He said: “I have spoken to a health minister, Paul Burstow, about this, and he is disappointed to hear what is happening in Burnley and agrees that a very early meeting is imperative.”

A spokesman for East Lancashire Hospitals said: “We regularly meet with MPs and can confirm a meeting has been scheduled for later this month."