Their Own Words, On The Record
Every party on the council's health committee voted to stop this. Here's exactly what they said before they did.
"Those few minutes could make a difference to life and death." That's not a campaign slogan. That's a Lancashire county councillor, on the record, explaining why she voted to ask the Health Secretary to call in the decision to move our children's A&E to Southport.
What they actually said
On 30 March 2026, Lancashire County Council's health scrutiny committee voted — unanimously, across every party on the committee — to ask the government to step in. The words they used matter, because they weren't reading from a script.
Councillor Shaun Crimmins on the consultation that came before the decision: "A lot of people disengaged from the consultation, because they said it was a done deal." Councillor Gaynor Hargreaves on why distance matters for a sick or injured child: "Those few minutes could make a difference to life and death." Councillor Martin Gawith on what "nearby" is worth without the right staff: "Having somewhere at the end of the road might be very nice to get to, but if we haven't got the skills in there, there's no point in having it."
These are the people West Lancashire elected, saying plainly that the process failed us and the decision should be reversed.
Who actually has to answer now
Here's what's changed since that vote: the government that received it hasn't stood still. Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary councillors originally wrote to, resigned in May 2026. Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister at the time, was succeeded by Andy Burnham in July 2026. Burnham appointed Yvette Cooper as the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care that same month.
Three ministers, one change of Prime Minister, and over 170 days later — nobody has told Lancashire's councillors whether their request is even being considered, let alone answered it.
Why this still matters
A call-in isn't a formality. It's the one lever that can stop a £33 million, three-year project before the diggers arrive. Every month it goes unanswered is a month closer to a 2029 move that the consultation itself showed most of us didn't want.
We love the doctors and nurses keeping Ormskirk's children's A&E running today. Our fight is with a process that asked 7,840 of us for our views, approved the option most of us rejected, and still hasn't given our elected councillors a straight answer.
What we're asking for: Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Yvette Cooper must formally call in this decision before work begins — and give West Lancashire's councillors the answer they've been waiting for since March.
Spread the word — share this briefing: