Wirral's four MPs are demanding answers from the borough's NHS Trust chairman after senior hospital consultants complained of "secret deals" being made over the future of services.

The MPs have jointly written to Wirral NHS Foundation Trust chief Michael Carr asking him to explain why a decision had been made not to include Arrowe Park Hospital as a potential base for vascular services.

The Trust says it is "concerned and surprised" by the claim that decisions have been taken in secret.

Hospital bosses are looking to reduce the number of centres offering vascular services from seven to two across Cheshire and Merseyside.

Arrowe's vascular unit is well-established and provides treatment for life-threatening emergencies such as ruptured aneurysms, acute anemia and traumatic injury to blood vessels.

Wirral University Teaching Hospital working with Countess of Chester Hospital submitted a joint proposal to a major Department of Health review.

It is understood the two organisations wanted to keep the services in both hospitals - yet the submission was made identifying the Countess of Chester as the proposed single centre.

Senior clinicians at Arrowe Park first raised their concerns about this with Birkenhead MP Frank Field after they visited him at his constituency surgery.

Mr Field said these concerns are:

Decisions regarding the Wirral University Teaching Hospital’s joint submission to the review were taken in secret with senior clinicians not being involved in the submission drafting process.

That by removing Arrowe Park as a potential base for vascular services, the review team were shutting down the cheaper option - Wirral already has the facilities whereas the Chester plan would involve a new spending project.

By moving vascular services to Chester, they would be further away from the Wirral population which is at greatest risk.

Mr Field, along with Parliamentary colleagues Esther McVey, Angela Eagle and Alison McGovern, have taken up these issues with chairman Mr Carr.

Mr Field said: "What Wirral MPs are objecting to is that the Government has laid down a procedure that NHS Trusts should use when deciding what is in the best interests of patients and also tax-payers.

"By doing a deal in secret, and not going through a proper review process, the best deal for taxpayers has been sidelined and it is anybody’s guess if this ‘behind the scenes’ decision will work in the best health interests of Wirral residents.

"I believe it is now imperative that Wirral Hospital Trust stops playing around and embraces properly the procedure for deciding the best rationalisation of services.

"It means the Trust going back to square one and starting the process again.”

He said Mr Carr has responded to the MPs’ letter asking for a meeting, which will now be organised.

A statement from the Trust says that while acknowledging the MPs' concerns, it cannot agree with the allegations.

It says: "Firstly, we are both surprised and concerned Mr Field believes that the Trust has made any decisions ‘in secret’ or ‘behind the scenes’ or that it has been anything less than totally open and transparent in reaching the decision to submit a bid to the vascular review team jointly with the Countess of Chester Hospital.

“As far back as March, this Trust has been in communication and discussion both with the local [Wirral Council] overview and scrutiny committee and with the four local MPs.

"In particular, in a letter dated April 7, the Trust set out in great detail the reasons why the joint bid was being made and why it was considered to be in the best interests of vascular patients from both Wirral and Chester for the lead centre to be at Chester”.

David Rowlands, Trust medical director and consultant surgeon, said; ”This Trust and its clinicians are in fundamental agreement that the delivery of vascular services based on a model of a combination of specialist centres and local services will be to the overall benefit of patients.

"Engagement on the exact way in which this is delivered and ensuring that there is no reduction in the quality and safety of care provided for any of our patients is on-going."