THERE is no clinical case for retaining an accident and emergency department at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital – because it is no longer viable.

That is the conclusion of dozens of medics drafted in to help draw up a shortlist of options for a public consultation into the future of the Euxton Lane site.

Reports by four different sets of clinicians have all come out against the possibility of restoring a round-the-clock A&E unit at the hospital – and neither do they support the facility retaining its current part-time status.

That means the public are likely to be presented with three options – two of which would see the A&E replaced with different versions of an urgent treatment centre (UTC).

However, the option of sticking to the status quo – which has seen the A&E department open for 12 hours a day since January 2017 –  is still set to make it onto the shortlist, so as to provide a benchmark position against which the proposed alternatives can be judged.

Under each of the remaining options due to be recommended for inclusion on the shortlist, a 24-hour UTC would be created.

Both of the proposed models would offer an enhanced level of care compared to the existing UTC facilities.