Campaigners welcome progress in George Eliot Campaign

Campaigners in Hinckley and Bosworth have welcomed news of a partial success in the campaign to keep threatened wards at the George Eliot Hospital.

The Arden Cluster PCT, that had planned the cutbacks has announced that the Maternity Ward is to be kept at George Eliot. There will continue to be some provision for treating Children at the hospital in the daytime, but the children's ward Caterina is due to close.

Cllr Michael Mullaney (Liberal Democrat Hinckley Trinity), who helped organise a petition to keep the Hospital wards said "It's good news for many people in Hinckley and Bosworth, North Warwickshire and of course Nuneaton that the Maternity ward is to be kept at the George Eliot.

"Many of the mothers who used the ward were from the Hinckley and Bosworth area and it was an important service locally that needed to be kept.

"A big thank you to all the local people who signed the petition to keep the wards. We had

many hundreds back. It's clear that the strong public support for the George Eliot has helped keep the Maternity Ward."

Cllr David Bill (Liberal Democrat Hinckley, Clarendon) who is also Health and Well-Being spokesman for the Council added "Our campaign to save the services at the George Eliot has been largely succesful with the keeping of the Maternity ward and some Children's services being kept.

"However, the PCT still wish to press on with the closure of the Caterina Children's Ward. We must therefore continue to campaign to ensure that there are adequate hospital places for children nearby."