Nothing new about threat of two-tier care

LINDA Riordan, MP (The Yorkshire Post, November 25) rightly but belatedly, calls for the Government to come clean on its proposals for Calderdale’s hospital services, which as reported in your columns as long ago as November 15, 2013, poses the threat of “two tier A&E services” with such provision being only available in Huddersfield.

Such a development will inevitably result in life-threatening delays for seriously ill Calderdale patients in remoter areas, who will have to be transferred to Kirklees for hospital treatment – a risk I reported in a letter (The Yorkshire Post, November 23, 2013).

From: Hazel Oughton, Greetland, Halifax.

WITH reference to the article by Linda Riordan, MP for Halifax, (The Yorkshire Post, November 25) with regard to the Calderdale Royal Hospital opening in 2000, I would like to point out that the hospital was financed by the Private Finance Initiative to which we will be heavily in debt.

Two hospitals were closed in Halifax and sold off. The former Halifax Royal Infirmary was paid for by the people of Halifax and District, a penny was taken out of their wages, and a great deal was paid for by local businessmen.