Burnley MP Kitty Usher has welcomed an update from the Chief Executive of the East Lancashire Hospital Trust on her campaign to "sort out" the local hospital.
The campaigning politician says she sees it as a sign that hospital bosses have got the message that things need to improve, however she says the report does not address all the issues she has raised.
The report is the first response by new hospital boss Marie Burnham to demands made after Ms Usher organised a public meeting in Burnley so that local people could tell hospital chiefs the things they consider need improvement in hospital services.
At the meeting Ms Burnham admitted mistakes had been made and that things would improve and promised to return to be judged on the progress she is making.
Commenting on the recent publication the a progress update, local Ms Ussher said: "I welcome the fact that the hospital boss has met her promise, made at our public meeting, to publish an update of the work she is doing, but I am afraid it does not yet get anywhere near what my constituents want to see.
"Back in February we asked her to 'sort it out' and set out our five key demands we wanted to see achieved by the end of 2009. Of these, only one has been met, and the others are either delayed or not mentioned at all.
"First we demanded to see the promised new maternity unit up and running at Burnley general. We now find out that while the building will be up by the November, it won’t be commissioned till August 2010. That's too late.
"Next we wanted an end to boarded up buildings. That seems to have been achieved, which I am glad about.
"Third, we demanded faster access for ambulances to the new emergency department at Blackburn. But we have only been told about progress towards an existing 4-hour waiting target which, while important, tells us nothing about when investment in the new building, complete with more room for ambulances, will be complete.
"Fourth we wanted happier staff. Instead we've been given information on staff recruitment, which again is important but tells us nothing about consultation with staff and how they feel.
"Fifth, we wanted to see better transport between the two sites, and again there's no mention of that.
"We also asked for the facts about whether lives are being saved or lost as a result of the changes to A&E - I'm still waiting for that as well.
”So overall, I give them one and a half out of five, and urge the hospital to better address the very real concerns of Burnley and Padiham people."
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