Stafford Hospital public consultation begins

The public consultation into Stafford Hospital's future will run for 40 days

A public consultation on the future of Stafford Hospital has opened.

Administrators have said Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust should be dissolved, with many services at Stafford Hospital taken on by nearby hospitals.

Under the plans, maternity services and seriously ill children would no longer be treated at Stafford.

The proposals, announced last Wednesday, were initially met with criticism by people in the area.

Other changes to Stafford Hospital would include downgrading its critical care unit and losing some emergency surgery.

Its A&E department would operate from 08:00 to 22:00 BST.

The consultation will run for 40 working days, ending on 1 October and the final recommendations will be forwarded to the Secretary of State for Health.

The first in a series of public consultation meetings to discuss the Stafford Hospital plans is due to take place at Stafford County Showground at 19:00 BST on Wednesday.