Ambulances were diverted to an A&E earmarked for downgrade because a hospital designated as an ‘emergency care centre’ couldn’t cope.

Some 61 ambulances were diverted to Dewsbury A&E in the last 12 months, according to figures obtained under Freedom of Information by new Batley and Spen MP Tracy Brabin.

The ambulances were diverted away from Wakefield’s Pinderfields Hospital, which has been designated as an emergency care centre, because it was unable to cope with the influx of patients.

Emergency care is expected to be centralised at Pinderfields Hospital in spring, as part of a hospitals shake-up which will see Dewsbury District Hospital’s (DDH) A&E downgraded to an urgent care centre.

Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield

Consultant-led maternity services, for mums expecting complicated and risky births, were moved to Pinderfields in September.

In the Commons on Wednesday, Ms Brabin urged the Government to intervene and keep Dewsbury A&E open.

The Labour MP said: “The response to a recent Freedom of Information request shows that Pinderfields Hospital has diverted ambulances destined for its A&E department to Dewsbury hospital, in my constituency, 61 times in the past 12 months.

“Dewsbury is scheduled for a downgrade next year.

“In the light of evidence showing that Pinderfields cannot currently cope, will the Leader of the House pledge urgent Government support to keep Dewsbury A&E open?”

Leader of the House Andrew Lidington replied that changes to hospital services needed to be decided by local authorities.

He said: “The point about the configuration of local services in any part of the country is that they need to be driven by local clinicians.”

But he said that councils could refer the plans to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt if they were ‘uncomfortable’ with them.

Clare Naughton, of Save Our Accident and Emergency Dewsbury, said: “These shocking figures are the very reason we are fighting the downgrade of Dewsbury Hospital.

“Kirklees residents are being sacrificed in the Government’s attempts at privatising the NHS and if their plans are not stopped it will most certainly result in avoidable fatalities.”

Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust runs DDH and Pinderfields Hospital.

Trust deputy director of operations Michelle Lazenby said: “There are no plans to close the A&E department at Dewsbury Hospital.

“This is a key part of our acute care provision and our intent is to ensure that we use services across all sites to ensure we deliver high quality care. There will be internal service changes to ensure that this is safe for patients and meets the needs of the local community.”

Dewsbury District Hospital
Dewsbury District Hospital