HALTON MP Derek Twigg has added his voice to the campaign to keep vital health services at Halton Hospital.

Protesters battling to stop ward closures at the Runcorn hospital from going ahead recently spoke of their fury at Tony Blair for supporting the move.

The Prime Minister believes NHS shake-ups, including the transfer of heart disease and stroke treatment to specialist centres, must be pushed through whatever the resistance from local protest groups.

According to a Government report, treatment for heart disease and strokes must be concentrated in fewer specialist centres.

Mr Twigg said: 'I would comment that we need the best possible health services for our community and that will be a mix of locally provided services and specialist services at other centres. What I want to see is, were it is safe to do so, as many people as possible treated locally.' As part of a £15m shake up of hospital services, five wards are being closed at Halton Hospital to make way for the transfer of emergency treatment to Warrington General Hospital.

The changes will see Halton Hospital become a centre of excellence for planned surgery while Warrington General is developed as a centre of excellence for emergency medical care.

Mr Twigg stressed that a bus service needed to be in operation between the two hospitals.

He added: 'After an operation those that are able to do so should be transferred back to Halton Hospital to complete their recovery, making it easier for relatives to visit.

'The North Cheshire Trust must deliver on their promises in respect of the £15m investment, better cancer services, a scanner, renal unit, more day surgery and work with the primary care trust to deliver an assessment centre and overnight stay beds.'

Councillors have in the past warned that with Halton's high rate of heart attacks and strokes, any delay in treat-ment could result in more fatalities.