A SUMMIT meeting has been called over radical hospital plans which will shake-up accident and emergency services for Bacup, Rawtenstall and Todmorden.

No fewer than 20 Greater Manchester MPs have called for a meeting with the independent review panel (IRP) looking at the provision of accident and emergency services across the region.

Proposals to remove casualty provisions from Rochdale Infirmary, and relocate them to Oldham, will impact on thousands on patients across Rossendale.

The IRP is reviewing the A&E decision, made in January by a joint committee of primary care trusts, and will report back to Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt by the end of June 2007.

Rochdale will operate an urgent care centre, under the plans, designed to deal with 85 per cent of current A&E cases although not with critically-ill patients.

Dr Peter Barrett, IRP chairman, said: "Our key focus throughout the review is the patient and quality of patient care."

An outline business case for a £150 million health campus for Rossendale, replacing the town's hospital, includes an urgent care centre, a birthing centre operated by midwives, day surgery and mental health provisions.

It has already been revealed that two of the next nearest hospital casualty departments are also under threat.

Under the Meeting Patients Needs programme, Burnley General Hospital's ability to deal with A&E emergencies will transfer to the Royal Blackburn Hospital.

Across the border, there are plans to relocate emergency wards at Halifax's infirmary to Huddersfield Hospital.

Todmorden will get a new community health centre - but without the emergency facilities town councillors had campaigned for.