A well-attended public meeting in Hebden Bridge yesterday decided to campaign to stop cuts to accident and emergency departments in Calderdale and Huddersfield hospitals and protect vital emergency care services for everyone in the area.

The Upper Calder Valley Save our A&E action group will campaign strongly with other organisations and groups in Calderdale and Kirklees, to make sure that everyone in both areas continues to have proper, safe access to 24 hour emergency services in their local hospitals.

The powers-that-be in Calderdale & Huddersfield Foundation Trust (CHFT) and Calderdale and Kirklees Clinical Commissioning Groups have just presented a number of options for the future of Calderdale and Huddersfield A&E departments, but the one that they want to put into action, option 2, is to close Calderdale A&E, apart from planned appointments (so, you can’t go there for accidents or emergencies), and have 24 hour A&E care only in Huddersfield.

The A & E closure at Calderdale Hospital is obviously going to cause the most concern and attention, but the proposals in Option 2 are even more far reaching. The plans include not only the transfer of A&E to Huddersfield, but also complex maternity (LDRP) & paediatrics. The knock-on effects could include the transfer of other departments too, such as Stroke Ward, CCU and ICU.

The meeting committed to stopping this from happening, since this is an attack on vital services dressed up as an improvement to medical services. This is all of a piece with the drive to reduce the NHS and privatise vital public services.

For more information about the Upper Calder Valley Save Our A & E campaign, please email changingmorethanlightbulbs@gmail.com

There will be a Band Together For The NHS Public Meeting ‘Hands off our A & E’ Sat 29 March, North Bridge Leisure Cent, Hx, 12.30pm-2.30pm. Downloadable/shareable leaflet here.

There are links to petitions and information about other public events on the Save Calderdale Royal Hospital facebook group.

Here is more information about the announcement of CHFT’s and the Clinical Commissioning Groups’ plans for Calderdale & Huddersfield A&E Departments.