Last December, the Deerplay Children’s Ward at Burnley General Hospital closed and young patients needing overnight care were transferred to Blackburn.

Lancashire’s Health Scrutiny Committee felt the case for closure had not been made and on 23 November 2010 called in the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) which submitted its recommendations to the Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, on 21 January.

The Health Secretary has been ruminating on the recommendations for longer than it took the IRP to formulate them.

Andrew Lansley is a procrastinator.

Who or what is he afraid of?

Pendle’s Conservative MP, Andrew Stephenson, spoke out against the closure.

But, so what? Stephenson blows with the wind.

Burnley’s Lib Dem “hospital campaigner” Gordon Birtwistle comes from a different mould. He is full of bluster.

On 24 January, he told the local press that he had met Lansley to discuss the Children’s Ward closure:

I also met Secretary of State for Health Andrew Lansley to discuss progress with the campaign to bring back our children’s ward. The preliminary findings of the Independent Review Panel relating to the transfer of the children’s ward to Burnley are due to be announced very soon. The next step would be a full inquiry, where the opponents of the move will be able to put the case for our children’s ward to return.

On 31 January, Birtwistle – as ever, a bit behind the times - told MPs

I am pleased that the reconfiguration board is now studying a decision that the previous Government made to close my local hospital's children's ward. The Secretary of State is due to rule on that shortly.

And, while Lansley has been gazing at his navel, we learn that more Lancashire children are being ferried to Airedale General Hospital, over the border in Yorkshire.

A worried Birtwistle tells the Lancashire Telegraph today

It is pretty worrying if people are going to Airedale and I don’t know whether it’s because people don’t trust the Blackburn hospital.

The children’s ward at Blackburn is overwhelmed.

The next meeting of Lancashire’s Health Scrutiny Committee is on 5 April.

The future of Deerplay Children’s Ward is not on the agenda.

It should be.