Yvette Cooper MP has branded proposals to downgrade accident and emergency services at Pontefract Hospital as a “disgrace” on the eve of a crunch meeting.
The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust is seeking to make Pinderfields Hospital at Wakefield a centralised centre for consultant-led emergency care.
The proposals would mean A&E departments at hospitals in Pontefract and Dewsbury would only provide urgent care for minor injuries. It is also proposed to centralise consultant-led maternity services at Pinderfelds.
At a meeting at Ossett Town Hall from 10am tomorrow, (Jan 10) The NHS Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield District Cluster Board will decide whether the proposal should proceed to a full public consultation in March of this year.
Ms Cooper, Labour MP for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford, said: “These proposals are a disgrace. They are ignoring the thousands of people who backed our campaign for the trust to keep its promise of 24/7 consultant-led A&E at Pontefract. Ms Cooper added: “Hospital bosses know we won’t accept this plan and we won’t give up the fight for a proper A&E at Pontefract.”
Dewsbury MP Simon Reevell said: “The key message is it is a consultation and people need to get involved and look at the details of what is being proposed. It is for the trust to convince people if the proposals are correct.”
Carole Langrick, The trust’s deputy chief executive, said: “Clearly the view of this trust is that we would like the outcome to be that the public consultation can take place.”
A Care Quality Commission report to be published today confirms major improvements at the trust. The commission branded failings at the trust “completely unacceptable” after inspectors on an unannounced visit last September discovered some patients stayed on the day ward at Pinderfields for more than four days and were only being fed with sandwiches and microwave dinners. And they discovered patients did not have proper washing facilit
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