Anger at plan to save cash by axeing Yorkshire A&E unit

A HEALTH watchdog has called for an “open, informed” debate about proposals that could see the closure of an Accident & Emergency department at either Huddersfield Royal Infirmary or Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax.

Health bosses have outlined a £50m savings plan that could see one of the hospitals specialise in 24-hour emergency care while the other becomes a specialist hospital for planned and elective care.

A further option would see both A&E departments downgraded with patients sent to another unit, possibly Leeds.

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The Trust’s medical director, Dr Barbara Crosse, told a meeting that the Trust favoured retaining Huddersfield A&E for “clinical, logistical and geographical” reasons.

Politicians in both towns said they would fight to preserve existing services.

One Labour councillor said the proposals were more about Government cuts than better outcomes for patients.

But patients’ charity Healthwatch Kirklees called for a “sensible and informed debate” on the future of services.

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Healthwatch Kirklees Director Rory Deighton said: “At this point, all we have is a number of different options.

“The Clinical Commissioning Group has been really clear that that’s what they are and that no decisions have been made.”

He said the debate should not just focus on A&E services because the bigger changes involve moving services out of hospitals into community-based health services.

“So let’s not just debate travel time to A&E. Let’s discuss travel time in general - and understand if people will receive more services in their own homes, or with their GP and overall travel much less.

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“Let’s understand the clinical improvements that patients will supposedly get from having each hospital specialising in an area. Let’s understand the extended hours that each hospital will be able to offer, and the seven day a week NHS that we are told GPs want to offer. Let’s talk about hospital parking charges for people visiting A&E, or and the eligibility criteria for patient transport services.”

Mr Deighton said that everyone had a part to play in improving the quality of the discussion over the next six months.

“Its early days, and it’s unrealistic to expect fully formed answers to all of these questions. But the NHS needs to make sure it puts lots of effort into explaining why this is a good idea, and as patients, we need to be asking all of the questions we need answers to - not just the ones about A&E services.”

In a briefing note, staff at both hospitals have been told that the intention is to reduce the numbers of people admitted to hospital by creating teams of health and social care professionals who would work to provide “as much care as possible outside hospital and closer to where people live to support people to take maximum responsibility for their own care and wellbeing.”

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The briefing note said acute and emergency services would be on one specialist hospital site and that planned and elective care on a second specialist care hospital site.

The note added: “No decision has been made yet as to which hospital would provide the acute and emergency services and which would provide the planned care.”

Health chiefs said the proposals could save around £50m.

The loss of some hospital services would be offset by improvements in specialist care at Holme Valley Memorial Hospital in Holmfirth and at a facility in Todmorden.

Colne Valley Tory MP Jason McCartney said he would campaign to keep local healthcare as close to people’s homes as possible.