‘Ask the people’ move by council

Calderdale Council in Halifax is inviting residents to comment on how health and social care services should be provided in the future.

Health services in Huddersfield and across Calderdale are currently being reviewed and could see A&E and maternity services axed in Halifax.

The People’s Commission will give the public an opportunity to debate what services are needed and will collect and review evidence.

The consultation process is running alongside an engagement process by local Clinical Commissioning Group.

Calderdale Councillor Megan Swift, lead member for children and young people’s services, was critical of the NHS consultation on the review, calling it “complete and utter rubbish” because, she said, too few people were involved.

Asked if the People’s Commission would become a ‘talking shop’ with little clout, she said: “If there’s a possibility it’s going to be a talking shop then some of us will be quite unhappy.”

Coun Swift said she hoped that people would have the confidence to speak out knowing that what they say will be listened to.

Council chief executive, Merran McRae said: “Once the Commission members have been appointed we will make sure that there are lots of ways that people can tell us what they think – whether that’s by attending public meetings, sending us information, emailing us or contacting us via Twitter.”

Led by an independent chairman, the Commission will include two councillors from each of the three main political parties and representation from Calderdale Healthwatch.

Labour activist John Fenton-Glynn, prospective parliamentary candidate in the Calder Valley, said it was crucial as many people as possible had their say.

“There is a huge amount at stake – the plans being proposed to close at least one of the two A&Es and possibly remove maternity services altogether would do huge damage to Calderdale healthcare provision and people are rightly deeply worried about it.

“We have to work together to make sure our collective voice is heard and our message – don’t put lives at risk by pushing ahead with these ill-conceived proposals – is delivered. I hope this commission will prove an important part of communicating that message.”

It is expected that the Commission will report its recommendations this autumn.

A spokeswoman for the CCG said: “We are not in formal consultation at the moment; we are in an engagement phase. We are holding drop-in sessions at the moment and doing work with community groups.”