Update regarding the Our Health Our Care programme in central Lancashire

We are now in a position to confirm next steps in relation to the Our Health Our Care (OHOC) programme for central Lancashire. 
 
The NHS in Lancashire is committed to safe, convenient and high quality services for patients. In emergency departments that is especially important. That’s why over the last few years we have sought to find new ways of making hospital services better.
 
Following correspondence from NHS England and NHS Improvement (North West) reflecting direction from the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care we have taken the decision to stop the planned OHOC consultation.
 
Instead, the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System, where all the local NHS organisations work together have decided to make hospital services better through the Government’s New Hospital Programme.
 
This is a sensible way forward as it reflects the new options available to the local NHS through the New Hospital Programme which were not available when the OHOC programme began.
 
As part of this work, we have been asked to fully consider options that provide safe, high-quality care, within Chorley Hospital’s emergency department.
 
The CCGs and Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are working together with other partners to ensure we are in the best place possible to take advantage of this significant opportunity to deliver long-term benefits for local people.
 
In the meantime, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the CCGs are working to restore the provision of emergency services at Chorley emergency department to the commissioned service model.
 
We continue to engage regularly with Lancashire County Council and its Health Scrutiny Committee.
 
As you would expect with these and other matters, the NHS will continue to support service models which are safe, effective, and put patients first. This isn’t just what is in our statutory obligations, it’s what’s right.   
 
We are confident that this is the right way forward and we will keep you updated on next steps.

Any questions should be sent to centrallancashireccgs.communications@nhs.net.