Petition launched in fight to protect Staffordshire A&E

The petition, called Save Staffordshire's NHS – Say No to the STP, has gathered more than 190 signatures within days of being launched and will eventually be sent out to MPs and councillors in a bid to get them to oppose the plans put forward last week for the future of healthcare in the county.

They say the controversial Staffordshire Sustainability and Transformation Plan poses 'a direct threat to NHS services in the county'.

An A&E department will be downgraded while hospital beds and minor injuries units could be axed under plans to save £542m in Staffordshire's health service according to the report released last week.

Health bosses say one of the county's three major emergency departments – at Stafford's County Hospital, Royal Stoke and Queen's in Burton – needs to be turned into an urgent care centre.

Petition organiser William Walker said: "We are calling on Politicians to reject the findings of the Staffordshire Sustainability and Transformation Plan.

"We believe that the findings outlined in the Staffordshire STP are a footprint to make further devastating cuts to NHS.

"We believe that these proposals pose a direct threat to NHS services within the County and therefore we stand united in our opposition to these proposals.

"Please sign our petition to oppose these proposals and to save our NHS."

Meanwhile, Stafford MP Jeremy Lefroy has called for an urgent House of Commons debate on the plan.

Mr Lefroy said he is against any proposal to reduce A&E provision in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent which he feels will have 'a detrimental impact on care' for patients.

Speaking in the House of Commons Mr Lefroy said: "While there are some good common sense proposals in the STP, it is quite clear from the demand and history in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire that all three A&E sites at Stoke, Stafford and Burton are required."