I WONDER how much longer we can expect to see a hospital in Warrington similar to the one we have been used to?

Rumours of a merger with Whiston have been around seemingly longer than sliced bread.

But can Warrington really continue to go it alone?

Each week in the Warrington Guardian we read of the pressures on the hospital and its staff and the latest piece of difficulty.

Inspectors have been looking at the waiting times at accident and emergency while they are now considering the multi-million pound deficit in the finances.

And we all know the problems with the parking.

Not only has a company been hired which appears to fine drivers not even pulling onto hospital property, but it now seems they hadn’t even bothered to get the proper planning permission to put the machines and signs up in the first place.

Other hospitals are bigger, newer and feel better for patients.

People in Warrington are already used to going to Runcorn for a lot of treatment, and many seem to prefer it, knowing you will be treated in a newer hospital.

I am sure an accident and emergency would remain at Warrington.

But how much money could be saved and how much more efficient would the hospital be if it was merged with a bigger player in the area?

That seems to be the model the NHS is creating and perhaps one that may prove better for the patients and the staff at the hospital.

Because if the situation carries on as it is at the moment, we seem to simply be heading straight on to more and more problems.

A merger could be the answer.

It could not but I wager to bet things could not really get much worse than they are at the moment.

BOB GRAHAM
Great Sankey

 

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