ACCIDENT and emergency at Burnley General Hospital is not closing, despite rumours it will shut in September, health bosses have said.
But they said plans to send 13 per cent of patients, the most serious cases, to Blackburn will not be changed.
Health boss Joe Gibson, who is overseeing the controversial "Meeting Patients' Needs" changes, said: "A&E at Burnley is not closing.
"It will continue to see and treat up to 87 per cent of its current patients who have a minor injury or illness in a 24 hour seven days a week urgent care centre.
"Once the new service model is fully implemented, the major emergencies - approximately 13 per cent of attendances - will receive care at a single dedicated emergency department at the Royal Blackburn Hospital."
He said: "These changes are necessary in order to allow us to provide even higher quality emergency care."
He said changes - which will also see most of East Lancashire's pre-booked operations take place at Burnley - are likely to be in place by December.
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