Prime Minister Theresa May has confirmed that Dewsbury District Hospital A&E will not be closing - but declined to respond when asked about Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.

Dewsbury MP Paula Sherriff asked about both hospitals in Prime Minister’s Questions in Parliament on Wednesday.

It came after the PM previously passed off the Examiner’s queries about the situation as “scaremongering” in a visit before the general election.

Paula Sherriff MP

Ms Sherriff asked: “She stated, and I quote, ‘people were scaremongering’.

“Can she use this opportunity today to reassure my constituents that all services will be retained at both hospitals, including a full A&E provision?”

The Prime Minister responded: “Yes I was asked about Dewsbury A&E and I can confirm that Dewsbury A&E is not closing.

“The service will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and patients will see no change to their services.”

But the PM avoided answering Ms Sherriff’s question about Huddersfield A&E.

After the question and answer session in the Commons Chamber Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman subsequently wrote to the PM asking for reassurances over HRI.

Huddersfield Royal Infirmary
Huddersfield Royal Infirmary

He wrote: “My constituents are deeply concerned about our response to our colleague, Paula Sherriff, in Prime Minister’s Questions today.

“While you confirmed that the A&E in Dewsbury will remain open, you failed to do the same for Huddersfield Royal Infirmary A&E.

“We can only assume that you support the planned closure.

“Will you refute this assumption and reassure my constituents that our A&E will remain open?”

The future of HRI A&E remains unclear. Local clinicians unveiled plans to downgrade it and relocate a full A&E to Calderdale Royal Hospital.

They are expected to unveil their full business case soon, with councillors in Kirklees and Calderdale set to scrutinise it.