Colne Valley Labour MP Thelma Walker has slammed hospital chiefs for ignoring local people’s views and downgrading Huddersfield Royal Infirmary by stealth.
She described it as “total disregard” for due process after councillors in Huddersfield referred plans to downgrade HRI to the Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt.
And she has vowed to demand a justification for proposals, revealed by the Examiner, to transfer some key services to Halifax.
“I am deeply concerned to hear that the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust is showing a total disregard for the views of local people, clinicians and campaigners,” said Mrs Walker, a former teacher who took the Colne Valley seat from Conservative MP Jason McCartney in June.
“Following a recent private meeting with a consultant surgeon at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, where he raised his and his colleagues’ concerns about the proposed plans, it appears that downgrading by stealth from November 18 has already started with the transfer of the Cardiology, Respiratory and Elderly Care Services to Calderdale.
“The views of local people are being ignored, and there has been total disregard for the due process following the referral by the Joint Health Scrutiny Committee.
“I will be calling for a meeting with the Chief Executive of the Health Trust and Chief Officer of the CCG, where I will be asking them to justify these recent developments.”
