Changes to Wigan health services announced

Services provided by Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – along with the staff employed there – will be transferred to Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust (WWL).

It is part of the reorganisation of healthcare, which will see health and social care providers brought together in the Healthier Wigan Partnership. Bridgewater provides services such as the walk-in centre, GP out-of-hours service, dietitians and school nurses.

Chief executive Colin Scales said: “With rising demand for health and care services, it’s really important that local people can continue to benefit from high quality care and easily accessible services which are sustainable for the long term.

“This means focusing on preventing ill health and making greater use of the skills and expertise of those working in community services.

“We, along with our partners, have agreed to support the creation of a local care organisation – known as the Healthier Wigan Partnership – in order to achieve these aims.

“Over the coming months we will be working with our partners to deliver a safe and smooth transfer of our staff and services into these new arrangements.”

A WWL spokesman said: “The changeover process will take place over two stages, with the first stage being the transfer into WWL and the latter stage seeing the creation of a local care organisation as a partnership between all providers of health and social care in Wigan – the Healthier Wigan Partnership.

“Bridgewater staff will begin their TUPE transfer to WWL from November 2018. This partnership group includes mental health, hospital, community, and primary and social care staff.

“It is something that all partners are excited about, built around the cornerstone of the seven service delivery footprints, placing primary and community care as paramount.”