The Liberal Democrats’ pledge to end the hospital crisis once again confirms that we are the party of high-quality local service provision for all. My many years of working in leadership roles in both health and social care, and my knowledge of the history of repeated threats to the viability of Macclesfield Hospital, made me very concerned when, during the early stages of the COVID pandemic, birthing services at the hospital had to be suspended. The hospital serves many people and families in Cheshire, and is regarded as providing vital, local, secondary health care. I began attending the virtual meetings of the East Cheshire NHS Trust Board, and, over the next three years, raised many questions at the Board, met with the Chief Executive, and raised the profile of the issues through letters to the local paper. The initial six-month suspension was repeatedly extended, and I sought assurances that the necessary recruitment and building work would, eventually, be completed. In late Spring 2023 a newly refurbished and fully-staffed Maternity Unit was opened, and I was delighted to visit it in Autumn 2023, with the Chief Executive, and to thank to staff for everything they had done to make this possible.