Trusts respond to anger over Dewsbury Hospital plans

Aug 31 2010 by Kevin Core, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

HOSPITAL trusts have defended themselves against accusations they have let down Dewsbury.

Bosses at the Kirklees, Wakefield District and Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trusts agreed a joint statement after an angry petition was received by Kirklees Council.

The statement was on the agenda at a meeting of NHS Kirklees.

Delivered by Dewsbury and Cleckheaton councillors, the petition attacked the absence of a cancer treatment centre and the decision to treat very sick babies in Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield.

It reads: “The Government has broken a promise to Dewsbury Hospital and local people. Dewsbury Hospital was promised a world-class cancer treatment centre.

“Now there will be no specialist cancer centre and the care of very sick babies and children will be moved from Dewsbury to Pinderfields.

“We demand that the government keeps its promise of a specialist cancer centre in Dewsbury.”

Councillor Naz Hussain said: “The petition was signed by thousands on the doorsteps.

“In meetings we were assured by the chief executive of NHS Kirklees, Mike Potts, that a state-of-the-art cancer centre would be based at Dewsbury.

“When the plans came out it was nowhere to be seen.

“We thought ‘enough is enough’, promises have to be fulfilled.”

The statement for the council prepared by the trust said between August and October, 2009, the three trusts had consulted the public on developing specialist hospital services to improve outcomes for patients and save lives.