Rochdale MP welcomes Minister's comments.

Rochdale MP, Paul Rowen has raised some of the most pressing health issues in Greater Manchester during a meeting with Health Minister - Rosie Winterton. Paul was joined by 4 other Greater Manchester MP's - Michael Meacher MP, Jim Dobbin MP, David Chaytor MP and Dayid Heyes MP in a session to raise critical health issues in Greater Manchester. The meeting also had the new Head of the North-West Strategic Health Authority - Mike Fararr CBE, who takes over on July 1st.

Questions that were put to the health minister included why there was such a rapid change in the financial fortunes of the Pennine Acute Trust? Other things discussed included the effect of 800 job losses on Acute Medical Services and frontline health provision in Greater Manchester. At present, the Government have been given just a year to get rid of its £21m deficit, as a result of the meeting the Health Minister is looking at extending this deadline to 2 years.

Paul Rowen MP said, "It has been a bad few weeks for health in Greater Manchester, senior staff walking out and protests from staff over job cuts. I felt the meeting was useful in the circumstances, the Minister was a little short of answers and I look forward to receiving clear, concise answers to some of my points. This would include how much is spent in the private sector in Greater Manchester, this is one of the reasons why there is a deficit of £21m and jobs are under threat.

I welcome the fact that the minister is now considering extending the time the trust has to make savings. There will now be a team working with the Acute Pennine Trust and producing a report about changes at the trust. The minister also agreed to look at the reconfiguration of services in Greater Manchester and this is welcome."