Burnley MP Antony Higginbotham welcomes Minister for Health and Social Care Helen Whately to Royal Blackburn Hospital

MP Antony Higginbotham joined other East Lancashire MPs in meeting Helen Whately after raising issues at the hospital both in Parliamentary questions and through a joint letter.

Conservative MP Whately spent more than an hour walking around the A&E ward and other departments chatting to hospital officials and staff.

MP Higginbotham said: “Today’s visit, coming on the back of a letter from me, Sara Britcliffe and other East Lancashire MPs, was an important opportunity to show the minister the good work being done at the Royal Blackburn Hospital, but also to talk through some of the challenges and solutions.

“Pressure in the emergency department is still too high and finding solutions to that must include greater use of both Burnley General and Accrington Victoria Hospitals.

“We’ll be following the visit up with a roundtable, including the NHS, Government, MPs and others to keep up the momentum and see the improvements needed.”

He was joined by Blackburn’s MP Kate Hollern and Hyndburn’s MP Sara Britcliffe, who said the trio “will continue to lobby for action and work together to reduce waiting times and get better care for our constituents.”

Minister Helen Whately said: "It was really helpful to see the hospital and also see the hard work going on in the Emergency departments but also the way the hospital works with other parts of the health service to help patients cleared through the system.”