What's the future for Calder Royal Hospital?

As a company based in Yorkshire we take an active interest in what is happening with the various NHS Trusts in the region. So we were intrigued by the recent news in the Halifax Courier about the possible closure of the accident and emergency department at Calderdale Royal Hospital. Here’s the piece in full below:

Calderdale Royal Hospital’s accident and emergency department could be set for closure as part of an NHS review.
An oral report on the Calderdale and Greater Huddersfield Health and Social Care Strategic Review revealed five options for its the preferred option of the Calderdale and Greater Huddersfield Health and Social Care Strategic Review to see Huddersfield Royal Infirmary (HRI) provide 24 hour A&E while Calderdale would be left as a centre for ‘planned’ care losing its A&E unit.
Councillors on the Adults, Health and Social Care Scrutiny Panel, expressed their concerns about the potential loss of the department during the presentation at Halifax Town Hall.
Councillor Adam Wilkinson (Lab, Skircoat) said: “These proposals are more about government cuts than better outcomes for patients.”
The proposal is one of five that will go out for public engagement in the summer and could be decided upon by the end of the year.
The five proposals are:
1. Continue with the existing hospital and community service model and configuration
2. Implement the community and hospital service model with Huddersfield Royal Infirmary as the site for acute and emergency care and Calderdale Royal Hospital as the site for planned hospital care
3. Implement the community and hospital service model with Calderdale Royal Hospital as the site for acute and emergency care and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary as the site for planned hospital care
4. Implement the Keogh review which suggests a dramatic reduction of hospitals across Yorkshire
5. Continue with the existing community service model and change emergency hospital care provided locally so that those people needing specialist treatments are transferred to a major emergency centre outside the local area. Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and Calderdale Royal Hospital would offer ‘see and initiate treatment’ services with people needing specialist treatments transferred to specialist centres.
Dr Barbara Crosse told councillors that the preferred option to provide emergency care only in Huddersfield was based around improved community services with the emphasis on people taking “more responsibility for their health”.
Health chiefs say the plan will save around £50 million although Todmorden Health Centre would be enhanced to cope with the changes as residents would have the furthest to travel if the A&E unit moved to Huddersfield.
The options will now go through a public engagement process with Dr Matt Walsh keen to point out that although they had a preferred option the decision hasn’t been made.
“It is reasonable for the provider to have a preferred option but, hand on heart, commissioners haven’t made a decision yet.”

It looks like this debate is going to run for a while. What do you think? Leave a comment below…