I present this petition on behalf of 1,541 signatories, who are seriously concerned about dermatology care provision in Wirral, South with regard to it being delivered by GPs rather than a dermatology department, and, for example, the detrimental effect on research and development.

The prayer of the petitioners is as follows:

The Petition of patients, families and friends of the Department of Dermatology in Wirral Hospital NHS Trust,

Declares that the petitioners have most serious concerns about the proposed changes to the care of people with dermatological disease regarding managing their conditions in the community. The Petitioners believe that such changes to services without due consideration and discussion of the effects will be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of the patients involved.

The Petitioners further declare that moving the majority of skin care management to the community has the consequence of reducing funding to hospital-based services. This potentially risks the loss of specialist treatments (both in- and out-patient based), diagnostic skills, opportunities for multidisciplinary clinics and valuable training for nurses and doctors.

The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to reconsider its decision and further urges the Secretary of State for Health to use his powers to reverse the continued scaling back of the aforementioned services at Wirral Hospital NHS Trust and to visit the Wirral Trust at his earliest opportunity in order to assess the views and opinions of the dermatology service users.

And the Petitioners remain, etc.

[P000151]