Health bosses have been told to “come clean” over the future of Calderdale Royal Hospital’s A&E department.
Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Halifax Labour MP Linda Riordan also accused the Government and health chiefs of failing to consult local people over controversial hospital restructure plans.
The plans to downgrade the hospital’s A&E unit, slash the number of beds and transform it into a centre for outpatients and planned operations, were revealed this year but have now been delayed by health officials, who say they want to improve community services first.
Last week the hospital watchdog Monitor said the plans needed to be accelerated amid news Calder-dale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust was going into the red.
Mrs Riordan told the House of Commons yesterday that the hospital shake-up issue had been kicked into the “post General Election long grass” adding that “not one person” in her constituency thought it was a good idea.
“Let’s stop this nonsense that an A&E will stay in some form,” she said. “If 24-hour services are axed it won’t be an A&E.
“Don’t take people for fools, this is just a glorified walk-in centre or an extended GP service. It’s time to come clean and spell things out.”
Calder Valley Tory Craig Whittaker indicated he backed the plans and said he had been wrong to campaign against the removal of acute services from Calderdale to Kirklees in 2005, as it had led to better outcomes.
Health minister George Freeman said people were fearful of change in the NHS but added: “Freezing services out of love for them is not the right way.”
