Arrowe Park Hospital’s private Park Suite is saved

Jul 7 2010 by Matt Hurst, Wallasey News

THE Park Suite, a privately funded ten bed unit at Arrowe Park Hospital, will remain open after campaigners overturned closure plans.

At the end of 2009, an announcement was made condemning the Park Suite to the axe, but a vigorous campaign led by Hoylake resident, Terry Smith and backed by consultant anaesthetist, Dr Terry Tarr has proved successful.

The unit had been due to close permanently on January 1 2011 but Arrowe Park chief executive Len Richards contacted campaigners this week to inform them the plans had been shelved.

Terry Smith called this a “warm and generous response to our campaign” and praised Len Richards for being “open-minded, fair and professional enough to re-consider and reverse a very difficult and controversial decision”.

Gary Doherty, chief operating officer at the Trust, said: “Since looking in detail at the performance of the Park Suite, it has improved in terms of contributing to the Trust and is seeing more patients at a lower cost.

“On the basis that this continues, the Trust will maintain its commitment to retaining the Park Suite.”