A multi-storey car park has been included in plans to expand a hospital earmarked to become an emergency care centre for Huddersfield and Halifax.
Calderdale Royal Hospital will be extended as part of a shake-up of hospital services in Huddersfield and Halifax.
Hospital chiefs have said the extensions – to accommodate as many as 300 more beds and new ambulance bays – would be built on the existing site.
This has prompted concerns from campaigners as to how the already cramped site – notorious for its shortage of parking spaces – will operate with greater flows of patients and vehicles.
Natalie Ratcliffe, of campaign group #HandsOffHRI, said: “It is ridiculous to suggest building on the CRH site which cannot accommodate traffic and parking flow now.”
Hospital chiefs are yet to reveal how Calderdale Royal Hospital (CRH), which currently has 400 beds, would be expanded under the Right Care Right Time Right Place (RCRTRP) proposal.
Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation Trust (CHFT), which runs Huddersfield Royal Infirmary (HRI) and CRH, said the number of parking spaces would be ‘based on the projected numbers of patients’ if the hospitals plan was agreed.
Under the RCRTRP proposal emergency care would be centralised at CRH.
The current 400-bed HRI would be demolished and replaced with a 120-bed hospital on the Acre Mill site.
Hospital chiefs said the new Huddersfield hospital, which would include an urgent care centre but no A&E, would be built on the Acre Mills site.
Ms Ratcliffe added: “The logical thing to do would be to build a new hospital on the HRI site. Land surrounding the hospital is owned by CHFT. CRH is landlocked.
“We would hope that the commissioners have a fresh look at things and go back to the drawing board. Our message is the same – this plan is not safe or viable.”
David McGarrigan, CHFT Deputy Director of Estates and Facilities, said: “As part of the development of the proposal for Calderdale to become the emergency site the trust assessed the space required on both sites to ensure that there would be room for the additional building work that would be required.
“Provision was also made in the financial estimates for additional car parking, including a potential for a multi-storey car park to accommodate the increased activity.
“In addition, Calderdale Council has plans to start road infrastructure work on the A629 in the autumn which will improve the traffic flow.”
