Councillors were united against a move to close Calderdale’s Accident and Emergency department.
The full council backed a motion that signals Calderdale Council’ s formal response to the move by health bosses and the council will ask hospital bosses to withdraw the proposals.
Health bosses are proposing five options which are: no change; HRI loses its A&E or CRH loses its A&E mitigated by increased specialist care at Holme Valley Memorial Hospital and at Todmorden; downgrading both A&Es and relying on a major unit further afield; or something else.
Calderdale members are unhappy that hospital bosses announced their preferred option was to close Calderdale A&E - sparking outrage in the borough that it was a done deal long before the public consultation even begins.
Clr Tim Swift, Labour and council leader, said: “Wherever we all stand in politics I am sure there is common ground on the NHS.”
Clr Adam Wilkinson, Labour, says “only a fool would think the way to deal with an A&E crisis is to close it” as he outlined missed winter targets and pressure on the department.
Conservative leader Clr Stephen Baines says the A&E motion “won’t have any clout” adding: “We don’t have the authority to make them do anything, but I hope they (hospital bosses) will listen.”
Clr Ashley Evans, Lib Dem, said: “It’s a knee-jerk reaction - the response should be no, absolutely not, send it back to where it came from, start again and involve the right people, create an effective costs analysis for the long term not the short term.”
The motions were as follows:
Labour Party: Ask the Calderdale and Huddersfield hospital trust to withdraw the proposals and appoint an arms-length health and care commission to evaluate A&E provision.
Liberal Democrats: Agreed with the Labour motion, but instead of a commission they want a ‘People’s Panel’ to lead the consultation and they want further details on proposals for extending GP surgery opening hours and the future of Todmorden Health centre.
Conservatives: Call on the Huddersfield and Calderdale clinical commissioning groups to reject the plans and keep 24 hour A&E at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and Calderdale Royal Hospital. They want a fully-costed business plan and enhanced minor injuries unit in Todmorden and re-negotiated GP contracts.
The group withdrew their motion at the start of the meeting, saying they wanted to work with the other parties.
Dr Matt Walsh, Chief Officer of NHS Calderdale CCG, said: “We are clear that the local NHS needs to change. It must be able to meet people’s future health needs effectively by delivering the right care, at the right time in the right place. This means a greater focus on providing services which keep people as well as possible for as long as possible at home or close to where they live.
“The providers have responded to this move towards community based services and the impartial National Clinical Advisory Team report with their views on how necessary changes in hospital services could happen. Those views are based on clinical judgements about safety and effectiveness.
“We are aware of the public concerns about changes to the NHS and again emphasise that no decisions have been made and that there will be formal consultation on any proposed changes before the CCGs take a view.
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