Transfer of hospital services from town delayed

An NHS trust has delayed the transfer of outpatient services from hospitals in Buxton.

Nine services, including ophthalmology, gynaecology and rheumatology, were due to move from Buxton and Cavendish hospitals to Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport from April.

Stockport NHS Foundation Trust has now confirmed the move has been rescheduled to take place from June.

A spokesperson for the trust said: "The additional time will allow us to prepare a smooth transition of care for those patients affected by the move, reviewing all patients to offer them the most appropriate appointment for their needs."

"This decision comes after careful consideration and reflects our ongoing commitment to place patients at the heart of all we do," the spokesperson added.

Closing services at Buxton Hospital and moving them 16 miles (25km) away was met with concern by residents, who described the plan as "a bad idea".

It led to Labour MP for High Peak, Jon Pearce, launching a petition calling for health services at Buxton to be saved.

He said after launching the petition in February: "Over 1,000 people have backed my campaign so far to save these health services in Buxton, yet Stepping Hill is pushing ahead without proper consultation or any assessment of the impact, especially on patients who depend on local care.

"These are real people - elderly residents, families and neighbours - now being told to travel to Stockport regardless of their circumstances, the weather, or whether that journey is even possible.

"We will not take this lying down. I will continue to fight to protect these health services."

The trust previously said fewer people were being referred to Buxton and the "great majority" of High Peak outpatient appointments were already being seen at Stepping Hill.

A spokesperson added: "Last year, 24,000 High Peak resident appointments were seen at the Stockport site but only around 6,000 in Buxton. As full diagnostic capabilities are not available in Buxton, many of these patients still needed to have follow up appointments at Stepping Hill Hospital under the current model."

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