A HUSBAND has said he has had to pay out more than £700 on fuel visiting his wife at Macclesfield Hospital – a scenario which would not be a reality if Knutsford’s Tatton ward was still open.

Ken Jones, of Bexton Road, has been visiting his wife Hazel at Macclesfield General Hospital’s ward 10 after she broke her femur in April.

Since her operation she has spent one month back home, but had to return to Macclesfield in June due to complications with a metal plate inserted to help the bone heal.

Tatton Ward – which has been closed for a year – is where Hazel would have recuperated if it had not been temporarily closed by the East Cheshire NHS Trust board.

“I’m not a rich man by any means, and the petrol is costing me £250 a month – that’s a lot of money,” said Mr Jones.

“It’s the case of people travelling from Knutsford to Macclesfield, and I can’t understand it when there is a local unit that they are still paying out money on.

“Plus the nurses who have had to move there as well – so you’ve got their travel to pay for.”

Mr Jones said he had no problem with the facilities in Macclesfield, just the logistics of seeing his wife, adding that the trust had offered to move her to Congleton.

A return bus fare to Macclesfield costs £3.50, but the last bus returns to Knutsford at 6.50pm, meaning would-be evening visitors cannot attend the 7pm to 8pm slot.

Getting to Congleton from Knutsford is an even trickier prospect via public transport, with users forced to change at Macclesfield for a connecting service.

“They wanted to send her to Congleton, but she didn’t want to go,” he said.

“She told them I was 83 and I know I’m agile and fit for my age but I’m an exception. People can’t get to Macclesfield or Congleton from here, especially in winter – that is why they want their loved ones at Tatton.

“The care is brilliant in ward 10 and the surgeons have been outstanding.

“It is highly recommended in the area but it’s the aftercare that’s the issue. Hazel would have been at Tatton but she is now in a place where there is a lot of expense involved.”

As reported in the Guardian, the trust said Tatton Ward would next be discussed in the autumn after it has held talks with Knutsford’s GPs.

Bexton Court, a centre for dementia patients, has also been closed for almost a year as a result of the Tatton closure.

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