STAFFING shortages have forced hospital services to move from Huddersfield to Halifax.
The outpatient clinic for arthritis patients needing weekly injections has been moved from ward 11 at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary to Calderdale Royal Hospital due to “staffing levels.”
But the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust, which oversees care at both hospitals, confirmed the “merging of medical day cause units” was only temporary and services should resume at HRI in the spring.
A trust spokesman said: “We have undertaken this measure due to staffing levels and it is a short-term measure to ensure patients continue to receive the very best care from our specialised staff.
“Patients who have been treated at HRI previously will be provided with transport so as not to inconvenience them during this temporary measure.”
The news comes as Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust announced it was letting Kirkwood Hospice take over ward 11 at the HRI for free from June.
Kirkwood Hospice patients will be moving to ward 11 from June, as part of the Dalton centre’s £3m refurbishment.
But patients have been reassured that the recent changes were not linked to the hospice’s revamp.
