A REHABILITATION unit at Leigh Infirmary that helps people recover from serious brain injuries looks set to close after 'failing to meet the agreed Greater Manchester standards'.

A contract for the Taylor Ward to be housed in Leigh runs out on March 31 and the NHS Wigan Borough Clinical Commissioning Group has proposed that it moves to Trafford General Hospital on or before that date.

It no longer considers Leigh Infirmary to be a suitable location for the unit due to access problems with it being on the first floor of the building as well as difficulties with round-the-clock medical cover.

Trafford General Hospital, on the other hand, offers 24-hour medical cover, meaning that patients can be treated on-site if they need urgent care, and is able to deliver the full 20-bed capacity on a ground floor ward with access to outside space for patients, says the CCG group.

Trish Anderson, chief executive of NHS Wigan Borough CCG, said: “We have spent a lot of time working out how we can continue to deliver safe and sustainable neuro-rehabilitation services to residents across Bolton and the Wigan borough and have reviewed all the options available to us.

“A patient who has used the Greater Manchester neuro-rehab service and a consultant, as well as GPs from Bolton and Wigan, have been involved in setting the criteria and reviewing the potential locations. Together we are confident that Trafford General Hospital is best placed to deliver a high quality service to our patients.

“I understand that this is a difficult time for patients and their families and carers and I would like to reassure them that they will continue to get access to the care they need throughout this process.

"Over the coming months we will be talking to patients, families and carers, staff and wider residents about what this means for them and how we can minimise the impact.”

A spokesman for NHS Wigan Borough CCG, which jointly funds the service with NHS Bolton CCG, added: "While the Taylor Unit offers high quality care to patients, it doesn’t meet the agreed Greater Manchester standards for this type of service as it doesn’t have ready access to facilities to treat patients in need of urgent care.

"Therefore it is no longer right to keep the unit at Leigh Infirmary.

"Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Trafford General Hospital, has experience of delivering high quality neuro-rehabilitation services to patients in Greater Manchester."