COLNE Valley MP Jason McCartney has asked the Health Secretary if he agrees with the plan to downgrade Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.

The Conservative MP raised the issue with Jeremy Hunt during a meeting in the House of Commons about national A&E waiting times.

Early last year, the Greater Huddersfield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Calderdale CCG proposed downgrading Huddersfield Royal Infirmary's Accident and Emergency department and moving vital services to Halifax.

Mr McCartney said: “On this important issue of A&Es, does the Secretary of State agree that it makes no sense at all for my local CCG to be bringing forward a business case to spend an extra £300 million on bulldozing Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and downgrading our A&E?”

Mr Hunt replied: “I recognise the very, very strong arguments my honourable friend makes and the strong campaigning he does on behalf of his constituents,”

“We are waiting for the final recommendations to come from his local CCG, but I agree that too often we have closed beds in the NHS when we do not have alternative capacity in the community, and we need to be very careful not to repeat that mistake.”