PUBLIC meetings are to be held in both Stockport and Poynton to give Knutsford residents an opportunity to ask questions and find out more about the legal challenge which aims to overturn the 'Healthier Together' decision.

'Keep Wythenshawe Special', a limited company set up by five doctors at Wythenshawe Hospital, is challenging the decision in which the Greater Manchester Healthier Together Committees in Common (CiC), led by 12 GPs from each Greater Manchester Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), named Stepping Hill hospital in Stockport as the fourth specialist centre for emergency abdominal surgery.

'Keep Wythenshawe Special' claims the hospital will be downgraded and other services will suffer, however Healthier Together refute these claims and have reasserted that no hospital in Greater Manchester will be downgraded, all hospitals will be improved, more doctors will be employed and the decision will not impact on existing specialised services.

Dr Ranjit Gill, chief clinical officer for Stockport CCG, said: “Healthier Together’s aims have been to improve quality and safety in all Greater Manchester hospitals and that for the first time to meet national standards, while guaranteeing speedier access to specialist emergency centres for patients with the most serious needs.

“I, and the other 11 members of the committees in Common, took an impartial view, after reviewing all of the evidence, and made a decision to name Stockport as the site for the fourth specialist centre for high risk abdominal surgery because it was in the best interest of all patients that use Greater Manchester services.

“This legal action may delay us implementing the much needed changes to save more lives in Greater Manchester and is costing the tax payer hundreds of thousands of pounds. This money should be spent on patient care and improving local services. The quicker we can start implementing, the more lives we can potentially save."

The public meetings take place, tomorrow, Wednesday, December 2 at: Poynton Civic Centre, Council Chambers, off Park Lane, SK12 1RB, between 12pm and 2pm; and Stockport College, Peter Barkworth Theatre, Wellington Road South, SK1 3UQ, between 5pm and 6.30pm.

Jerry Hawker, Chief Officer of NHS Eastern Cheshire CCG, said: “We recognise that this decision will affect some of our residents more than others as our residents use both Wythenshawe and Stepping Hill Hospital.

“It is important to remember that NHS Eastern Cheshire CCG was supportive of the decision to award the single service status to a hospital close to the borders of Eastern Cheshire as it would ensure that our population has access to the best 24/7 quality care delivering the outcomes and standards essential to improving our population’s health and wellbeing.

“These meetings are an opportunity for the public to hear exactly what is planned, to clear up any confusion, to seek clarifications on Healthier Together clinicians’ decision and the Judicial Review process. We encourage any of our residents that want to find out more or ask any questions to come along to one of the meetings.”

A court hearing (Judicial Review) into the decision will take place on December 9 and 10.

The judge is not deciding whether or not the fourth specialist site should be Wythenshawe hospital or Stepping Hill hospital.

If the judge decides to rule in favour of Keep Wythenshawe Special, then the decision made on July 15, 2015 to name Stepping Hill as the fourth specialist site for emergency abdominal surgery will be quashed.

If this happens, the 12 Greater Manchester commissioners who made the decision in July will have to revisit the process and make the decision again.

For more information about the Healthier Together programme and the Judicial Review see healthiertogethergm.nhs.uk/jr