A long-awaited return of children’s accident and emergency services to Southport may be on the horizon, following the release of a key NHS report which identifies Southport Hospital as the preferred location for co-located adult and paediatric A&E services.
The recommendation forms part of the Shaping Care Together (SCT) programme, a major initiative aimed at redesigning emergency care provision across Southport, Formby and West Lancashire.
Patrick Hurley MP for Southport said: “This is a once in a generation opportunity to bring back the children’s emergency services our town deserves. Southport’s proposal is the top scoring and clinically preferred option. But this decision is not final — the NHS needs to hear from the people it affects most.”
Children’s emergency services were withdrawn from Southport more than two decades ago.
Currently, children requiring urgent care are directed to Ormskirk Hospital, which operates a paediatric A&E on a limited basis, closing its doors overnight since the coronavirus pandemic, resulting in families facing long travel times to Alder Hey in Liverpool.
The SCT programme, launched jointly by Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and local Integrated Care Boards, has sought to resolve longstanding issues related to fragmented services and access inequalities.
According to the business case published ahead of an SCT programme board meeting at Ormskirk Civic Hall on Friday 4 July, two options were shortlisted from an initial list of ten: co-location of 24/7 adult and children’s A&E at either Ormskirk Hospital or Southport Hospital. The Southport option scored highest across four key criteria — quality of care, deliverability, patient access, and strategic and financial sustainability.
The proposed Southport children’s A&E would require a one-off capital investment of approximately £44.5 million. Ongoing operational costs have not yet been disclosed.
NHS officials said the funding would be sought through national capital allocations in accordance with Strategic Outline Case (SOC) procedures. “The route to funding will be through national funding via the Strategic Outline Case (SOC) in line with national guidance,” the business case states.
Councillor John Pugh, Sefton Council Liberal Democrat group leader, welcomed the news but urged unity in the final phase of the process: “The separation of A&E which was almost unique in the UK was never an arrangement that made sense to the people of Southport and was imposed by the executive of the NHS in the defiance of local opposition. Hope has come and at times gone. That’s why it’s so important that the town must speak with one voice.”
Mike Prendergast, leader of the Sefton Council Conservative group, also endorsed the development, emphasising local pressure: “This is a massive moment for Southport. Children’s A&E was taken away under the last Labour government, during a time when Southport was represented by a Liberal Democrat MP. This news, whilst not guaranteeing the service will return to Southport, makes it the most likely outcome.”
The SCT programme, launched following the merger of Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust with St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in July 2023, is tasked with modernising urgent care across the region in light of ageing infrastructure, rising demand, workforce shortages, and financial constraints.
Alongside the SCT recommendations, Patrick Hurley MP has launched a new public survey seeking feedback on the proposed A&E options and residents’ personal experiences of emergency care. The results are expected to be submitted directly to the NHS Trust’s ongoing consultation process. The MP previously submitted a petition in September 2024 calling for urgent action on local emergency services.
The decision on where the reconfigured emergency services will be located ultimately rests with NHS England and relevant Integrated Care Boards. While no final determination has yet been made, officials have described the Southport option as the “clinically preferred” route. Further public consultation and scrutiny are expected before a final agreement is reached.
If approved, the scheme would mark the first time in over 20 years that full 24/7 children’s A&E services would be available in Southport. NHS officials have not yet confirmed timelines for delivery, pending funding approval and detailed planning processes.