Update for health partnership over hospital plans
A HEALTH partnership was updated on progress in reconfiguring hospital and community health services in Calderdale and Kirklees, which include choices over A&E cover and hospital care which have been controversial.
Calderdale Health and Wellbeing Board were updated on the situation, receiving copies of letters and statements from NHS England, which believes the plans are a good response to challenges faced, the leader of Calderdale Council Clr Tim Swift,.
It also included a statement from the Calderdale Local Medical Committee (LMC) to councillors Liz Smaje (Kirklees) and Adam Wilkinson (Calderdale), who are the joint chairs of Calderdale and Kirklees Joint Health Scrutiny Committee.
The LMC, which had previously expressed its view that just keeping the status quo regarding local health services configuration was not an option, accepts having community beds for Calderdale patients on the Huddersfield site as it would be the centre for planned care and supports the proposal to continue A&E consultant-led emergency services and implementation of medically urgent care at both centres, as well as strengthening community and primary care services.
However the LMC notes the latter can only be enabled with adequate investment in primary care and still had concerns regarding the ability to recruit adequate specialist doctors to maintain both sites in the current workforce climate.
Clr Swift’s letter to Secretary of State Matt Hancock in the summer said Calderdale Council expressed support for the proposals, drafted by Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group and Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, which would potentially bring nearly £200 million investment to Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation Trust, transforming Calderdale Royal Hospital, and ensuring better acute and urgent care for its residents.
Labour’s Clr Swift, chairing the board meeting, said: “The report takes us to where we are in the process.”
NHS Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group Chief Officer Dr Matt Walsh said the report summarised responses to the Secretary of State. “There is indication capital is being made available but no formal decision has been made at this stage – that is where we are up to,” he said.