A contentious proposal to close Huddersfield's A&E department has moved a step closer after the Governing Bodies of NHS Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS Greater Huddersfield Clinical Commissioning Group voted unanimously in favour of the plan.
The plan would see all emergency acute and high-risk planned care moved to Halifax's Calderdale Royal Hospital.
Huddersfield Royal Infirmary would be demolished and a new hospital built at at Acre Mill, Huddersfield, but with no A&E department.
Dr Steve Ollerton, GP and Chair of Greater Huddersfield CCG said, ‘On behalf of the Governing Bodies and the CCGs, we would like to thank everyone who has taken part in the Right Care, Right Time, Right Place public consultation.
‘This has not been an easy process – but it has been necessary. We value the significant wealth of feedback that we have received.
‘As Governing Bodies, we have a duty to ensure the best quality care and health outcomes for the people of Calderdale and Greater Huddersfield and our priorities are to improve the quality and safety of hospital services, bring them in line with national care standards and make them sustainable, in terms of money and staffing, into the future.’
Dr Alan Brook, GP and Chair of Calderdale CCG said, ‘We are facing significant challenges and we believe that these proposals would bring about the greatest overall benefits.
‘However, this next stage is an important step where we will be developing the detail and exploring how we take forward and look to implement the proposed changes as well as address concerns raised such as travel and transport.
‘As part of this we will continue to work closely with our partners and key stakeholders to support us in developing the full business case’.
But the decision met with an angry response from campaigners, cries of shame from the public at the meeting today, campaigners have held several demonstrations against the proposal supported by a public consultation revealing 67% of 7,500 respondents feeling they would be negatively hit.
The CCGs will now submit detailed plans to NHS England and the Department of Health for comment before a final decision is made.
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