Chesterfield MP 'concerned' loss of services at Royal Hospital will be permanent

The trust which runs the Royal confirmed this week that part of the fertility service at the hospital will be unavailable for an ‘interim’ period because of ‘operational issues’.

Hospital trust bosses say the andrology, or semen analysis service, has been unable to restart since coronavirus pandemic restrictions were eased.

The town’s Labour MP, Toby Perkins, said it was ‘understandable’ and ‘unavoidable’ that a number of public services have been reduced, suspended or changed due to the pandemic.

"However, I am concerned that this crisis might be used as an opportunity to cut local services without consultation and that they will simply be gone forever,” he said.

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"The Royal have promised that this is an interim solution and so I expect this service to return to Chesterfield. I will be discussing this with the chief executive of the trust at our next meeting to try to gain clarity on what the issues are that are preventing it reopening immediately, and to request a timeframe for when we can expect full local service to resume.”

A spokesperson for the hospital said andrology is provided by Derbyshire Pathology.

"They have some operational issues at the moment, which has meant they are not able to restore this part of our speciality,” the spokesperson said.

“As an interim solution we have been able to partner with the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton to offer andrology services on our behalf.”

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