NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) has launched a public consultation seeking feedback on proposed enhancements to vascular services across the region. The consultation, which runs until Friday 27 November 2026, aims to gather public opinion to help shape the future delivery of these critical healthcare services.
Andy Curran, the ICB’s co-medical director, highlighted the goal of making vascular care 'safer, more consistent and better joined up' throughout Lancashire and South Cumbria. He stated that feedback from staff, patients, and carers over the past seven years has informed the current proposals, and further public input is crucial for long-term service development.
The core proposal involves establishing a vascular network across Lancashire and South Cumbria hospitals, to be hosted by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Under this plan, Royal Preston Hospital would become the sole specialist centre for planned and emergency inpatient vascular surgery for patients across Lancashire, South Cumbria, and Wigan. Currently, these services are provided at both Preston and Royal Blackburn Hospital.
This proposal aligns with national guidance recommending a vascular network serve a minimum of 800,000 people, with a single 'hub' hospital for complex artery surgery. The ICB emphasises that local clinics, tests, day-case treatments, and follow-up care would continue at local hospitals, ensuring continued access to services.
Mr Curran urged the public to review the consultation materials and share their views via survey, paper copy, phone, or by attending listening events. He stressed that no final decisions have been made and that all feedback will be independently analysed before a decision is reached.
Consultation information, including FAQs, survey links, and details for completing the survey by phone, is available on the ICB’s vascular consultation webpage. Materials are also accessible in Easy Read format and can be translated into 134 languages. Feedback can be submitted via email to lscicb.haveyoursay@nhs.net, by calling 0300 373 3550, or by post to FREEPOST, NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB. The consultation concludes at 5pm on Friday 27 November 2026.
