HEALTH bosses have stressed to the Guardian that there are no plans to downgrade Macclesfield Hospital's A&E department.

Dr Neil Goodwin, chair of the East Cheshire Caring Together Programme Board, issued a statement this week about reports that stated the unit could be downgraded.

The board told the Guardian that an 'unplanned release' of Cheshire and Merseyside Sustainability and Transformation Plan contained an inaccurate reference to a proposal to downgrade the accident and emergency unit at Macclesfield Hospital to a minor injuries and illness unit (MIIU).

The statement added: "There are no plans to do this, and urgent and emergency care at the unit will continue to be provided by hospital doctors and other care professional staff as appropriate."

Dr Neil Goodwin, independent Chair of the Eastern Cheshire Caring Together Programme Board says, “The Caring Together programme has, with NHS and local authority partners, been exploring ways of ensuring the future sustainability of local health and social care services in light of the huge challenges facing these services locally and nationally.

"It has been well documented that the NHS in particular is under huge pressure nationally and health services in eastern Cheshire are no different.

"There is however an increasing acceptance nationally that services are failing to keep pace with the changing needs of the population and so doing more of the same is not the answer.

"Instead we need to focus more on prevention, self-care, providing people with more help and support in the community and better coordinating people’s treatment and care when they become unwell. To do this services have to change.

"The Caring Together Programme Board is looking at how best to create more integrated services across hospital, primary, community and social care, which will be better for patients and be more efficient.

"I regret the inaccuracy about Macclesfield Hospital's accident and emergency unit. This should not have occurred and has created unnecessary anxiety for patients and staff.”

The Caring Together Programme Board comprises of the chairs and chief executives – or equivalents - of key health and social care partners locally, including NHS Eastern Cheshire CCG, Cheshire East Council, East Cheshire NHS Trust, Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, NHS England, NHS Improvement, and Vernova CiC.