Reform won seven seats on West Lancashire Borough Council in May from a standing start. At the council’s meeting on 15 July, two motions tabled by our group leader, Cllr Aaron Body, were carried.

Ormskirk Hospital: who is it accountable to?

Ormskirk Hospital is in Lancashire and is West Lancashire’s main acute hospital. Yet, as the motion set out, its strategic governance falls under the NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board, while care for West Lancashire residents is commissioned by NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria.

Cllr Body’s motion argued that “Aligning Ormskirk Hospital with Lancashire NHS structures would strengthen democratic oversight, remove unnecessary complexity, and make sure Lancashire residents have a clear champion within wider strategic planning.”

After an amendment, the council resolved (minute 46):

  • that NHS England be asked “to undertake a comprehensive review of the strategic alignment of Ormskirk Hospital, assessing whether residents would be better served under Lancashire NHS strategic and commissioning arrangements”
  • that “ironclad assurances be sought that any future healthcare governance adjustments reflect the new Lancashire local government structures without detriment to frontline patient care”
  • that the Leader of the Council write to NHS England, the relevant Integrated Care Boards, local MPs and the Health Secretary asking for a formal response

The carried version did not include the cross-party working group our original motion proposed. The core ask, a proper review of who the hospital answers to, went through.

Town councils for Skelmersdale and Ormskirk

Skelmersdale and Ormskirk are the borough’s two main towns, and neither has a town council. As the motion put it, “Skelmersdale is one of England’s largest towns without a town council.”

Local government reorganisation would move decisions to much larger councils. Cllr Body’s motion asked the council to start the process of giving both towns an elected voice of their own. A Conservative amendment, which we accepted, widened it to include Westhead and the alternative of area committees under the new unitary council.

The altered motion was carried (minute 45). The council will now run “a wide and inclusive initial public consultation” with residents, businesses and community groups in both towns and Westhead, and a report on the outcome must come back to Full Council “no later than April 2027”.

That is not yet a town council. It is the first formal step towards one, and residents will get their say.

When the consultation opens, we will post the details here.