The town’s to quit jobs
It was recently revealed many of the foreign nurses brought in from the EU had already left to work at other hospitals in the UK.
Mr Ramsden said: “They say they haven’t got staff, but then all of a sudden they’re saying they can support Huddersfield A&E.
“I have to question what they’ve been saying in the past about staffing.
“Yes there are staff shortages in the NHS but other trusts have been more imaginative when it comes to recruitment. “It’s down to management to sort that out. “It’s pretty poor that these relatively new EU nurses have moved on - if the trust can’t retain staff it recruits it needs to look at its processes.
“What is it that’s caused a problem for them when their location and circumstances are much better than many other trusts?
“You’ve got to question their ability to do their jobs properly.”
“I have no confidence in this leadership - the hospital trust in particular.”
Mr Ramsden said he was disappointed that Mr Williams and the trust’s chairman had barely been seen or quoted in public over the past few years.
“He should be leading from the front and he should be out there explaining to the public why they can’t do the things we want and why they are putting forward a version of the plans that doesn’t look massively different to the original. “It’s surprising if they are unwilling to do so. “At a time of great change this is what they are paid to do. They’re paid a lot of money, they have to be brave and face up to the public that they put forward plans that have clearly failed.
“They can’t hide from this. I have no confidence in this leadership - the hospital trust in particular.
“These are the trust’s plans and to some extent they’ve been hiding behind the CCG.
“If they’ve not be able to command the confidence of the public then at some point they have to go.
“If they’re failing to retain staff they’ve recruited then that’s a bit of an indictment as well.”
Prof Bradshaw told the Examiner he too was unimpressed.
He said: “It strikes me Huddersfield folk should not get too excited because it is difficult to see how the rejuvenated proposals for HRI are anything other than a dismal cosmetic. “The new proposal excels in its use of what anthropologists call ‘word magic’ - verbal embroidery suggesting something truly wonderful will happen when it won’t!
“Yes - HRI will have a 24-hour A&E for self-presenting patients and alleged Consultant cover but what that means is nebulous because blue light patients will still go to Halifax. “On other services the business case is fishy. “To allege there are foreseeable community alternatives to replace hospital beds in Greater Huddersfield stretches beyond utmost imaginings.
“The CCGs promoted scheme, Care Closer to Home is in floundering development - it has had no stress tests and is unevaluated.
“GPs are nowhere near equipped to meet demand.
“All are making disingenuous claims that replacement community-based services are of equivalent quality to current in-patient care at HRI.”