HEALTH chiefs are forging ahead with plans to create a 'centre of excellence' for vascular services - despite surgeons from Bolton refusing to move their to work to East Lancashire.

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust has opted to merge its vascular services with Greater Manchester instead, leaving East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) without a 'partner' organisation.

MORE TOP STORIES:

The idea was to improve care at Royal Blackburn Hospital by increasing the number of surgeons, and volume of work, in a shake-up that was recommended by the Vascular Society and approved by health secretary Jeremy Hunt last year.

Although Bolton has pulled out of the arrangement, ELHT is in discussions with NHS officials about meeting the specifications without a partner. Two operating theatres are due to open shortly, as well as a 20-bed vascular ward.

Simon Hardy, senior consultant at ELHT, said: “Plans continue for the trust to be one of two arterial centres of excellence for vascular in Lancashire and South Cumbria, one to be provided by us and the other provided by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (in Preston).

"There have been on-going discussions with specialist commissioners regarding working models to meet the specification of a centre without a partner.

"The trust board has now approved the recruitment of additional members of staff including a consultant and ward manager and has committed to a considerable investment in facilities to ensure the capacity required is in place."

Routine vascular care, for disorders of the arteries and veins, will still be offered at Lancaster, Blackpool and Wigan under the reorganisation, but complex surgery, such as that performed for abdominal aortic aneurysms, will only be carried out in Blackburn and Preston.