“Super surgeries” plan
to be finally buried
by David Skentelbery
HEALTH chiefs in Warrington will be urged next week to finally bury the controversial plan for five ?super surgeries? across the borough, replacing existing GP practices.
Officers of Warrington Primary Care Trust will recommend that board members drop proposals for the super health centres ? including two pilot schemes at Garven Place, off Sankey Street and at Orford Park.
This follows massive opposition to the scheme during a public consultation exercise which started early in February.
People were opposed to the five large health centres, with many expressing concern at losing local GP services. By a margin of about four to one they opposed the Garven Place and Orford Park schemes.
Doctors also opposed the scheme on the grounds that it would lead to large, unworkable practices and the severing of the traditional link between family doctor and patient.
PCT chiefs will, at a meeting next week, be recommended to set up a new clinical strategy group to advise them on how best to organise and develop future health services in the town.
This group, which will include GPs, North Cheshire Hospitals Trust, the Five Boroughs Partnership and Warrington Borough Council, will be established quickly and asked to complete its work within 12 months.
Family doctors will be represented by a new practise-based commissioning group which is already working on an alternative to the super surgeries plan.
In the meantime, the PCT will invite GP practices interested in offering longer opening hours and a wider range of services to open discussions.
They will also seek new ways to engage with the public, patient groups and carers, to ensure they are fully involved in the development and planning of local health services.
A PCT spokesman said: ?The public consultation exercise has been invaluable in engaging with people and understanding their views, beliefs, values and wishes about local health services.
?This is the beginning of future engagement, not the end. The PCT will facilitate, through leading clinicians in the town, the development of a robust long term strategy for local health services which can command widespread support and offers local taxpayers good value for money.?
Freemason’s ?725
donation to Scouts
by staff reporter
LYMM Scouts received a ?725 windfall from the Freemasons of Cheshire, which is supporting the Scouting Centenary this year.
Peter Owen, assistant provincial grand master for Lymm, presented the cheque to Mrs Lesley Regan, the district commissioner for Warrington East at the Scouting Centenary Rally held at Dunham Park, Altrincham.
The money was raised by members of lodges in the area, to support Scouting activities.
Freemasons of Lymm is holding a stall at the Lymm May Queen Festival on June 9.
Penny-a-ride buses take
3,000 cars off the roads
by Lesley Wilkinson
PENNY-a-ride bus fares are believed to have taken 3,000 cars off Warrington’s roads – for one day.
The special 1p fares were offered by Warrington Borough Transport on the day the new ?120 million Golden Square shopping centre opened – and thousands of shoppers took advantage.
Almost 5,000 more passengers than usual travelled into the town centre by bus between 9.30am and 3.30pm.
It was the busiest day on Warrington’s buses since the fuel protests of 2000 – and it was busier than the busiest day in the run up to Christmas last year.
WBT managing director Nigel Featham said with so many people travelling by bus, traffic congestion was eased considerably.
According to Department for Transport figures, one car carries an average 1.6 occupants. This meant the one-penny fare probably resulted in the equivalent of 3,000 fewer cars on the town’s roads.
Mr Featham said: “The new Golden Square sees the emergence of Warrington as a major regional shopping centre. The fine shopping facilities are matched by an excellent public transport system and this bold and innovative move was designed to show Warrington as a transport friendly shopping destination.”
The one-penny fare scheme was jointly funded by Lend Lease, owners of Golden Square, and Warrington Borough Transport.
Wanted: employers ready
to give youth a chance
by Lesley Wilkinson
THE search is on in Warrington for companies willing to help young people get their feet on the first rung of the career ladder.
Cheshire and Warrington Connexions personal advisers will be visiting firms from Monday during Employer Engagement Week, to generate job vacancies and work experience for young people.
It is the first time Connexions has dedicated a week to getting new employers on board and staff are hopeful it will be a success.
Terry Cunningham, area Connexions manager for employer engagement, said: “We’re committed to getting young people into employment, education or training when they leave school and Employer Engagement Week is part of making that happen.
“We’ll be contacting local employers to see if they have any job vacancies or can offer work experience to young people. We already work with a lot of businesses and last year we organised 13,000 placements for young people on work experience, but we want to get even more this year.”
More than 300 Connexions employees will be targeting businesses throughout the county to see how they can help.
Terry said: “It can be anything from advertising vacancies with us on our free Vacancy Line service, taking on trainees or offering work experience, to visiting schools and conducting mock interviews.”
MP welcomes plans for
more youth facilities
by staff reporter
GOVERNMENT plans that could see more youth facilities in the town, have been welcomed by Warrington North MP Helen Jones.
Plans are to invest in youth services across England, and the MP feels this could mean more youth facilities in her constituency.
She said if the plans were passed by Parliament, local communities could bid for funding to improve facilities on offer to young people in the area.
The MP said: “Young people in my constituency need more things to do and places to go, so I’m delighted that the Government is going to make major investment in youth services.
“I will be seeking the views of young people and local community organisations about what facilities they would like to see available in the future. It will be up to them to decide what is needed and to draw up proposals for funding.” She said once the scheme is running she would take swift action on funding bids.
“The idea is to create a lasting legacy for the community, creating assets to benefit current and future generations,” she added.
The funding for new youth services is part of Government plans to reinvest in local communities unclaimed assets that have been lying dormant in bank and building society accounts for at least 15 years.
Jobs go as town
centre store closes
by staff reporter
THE Warrington branch of Kwik Save is one of 79 to close nationally, with the loss of more than 700 jobs.
Closure of the Academy Way store comes after months of uncertainty, despite a ?50 million rescue package announced in February.
The chain ? which in the mid 1990s had more than 1,000 stores ? is now reduced to 147.
Shopworkers union USDAW is working to try and find jobs for redundant staff at other stores in the Warrington area.
A spokesman said: ?The closure announcement came as something of a shock. Workers who have lost their jobs are surprised and angry.? According to reports, shelves at some branches of Kwik Save have been emptying for weeks as suppliers refused to deliver goods because of ?payment problems.?
