Councillor’s call to fight closure of Dewsbury hospital A&E department

Coun Paul Kane resigned from the Joint Health Scrutiny Committee on Mid Yorkshire Future Hospital Services on Wednesday in protest to the threat.

He said he felt unable to stay in the position, which he has held for 14 years, with the future of such a vital service in doubt.

The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust insists there are no specific plans to shut A&E at Dewsbury and District Hospital, but said previous assurances that it wasn’t under threat were in the past.

But Coun Kane (Lab, Dews East) has seen a confidential briefing on cost-cutting measures which floats the idea of shutting A&E.

“I’ve got severe concerns about this,” he said. “I’ve been extremely supportive of understanding why services are being changed, but this one is too far. I want a concerted effort by all council members to get together and stop these proposals.”

At the start of this week, the Reporter asked hospital bosses if they could guarantee the department’s future.

Interim chief executive Stephen Eames said the organisation needed to look forward.

“It’s right to say we’re discussing the future of services across the hospitals and how we best organise our emergency services,” he said. “There are no specific proposals at this stage.”

He said the priorities of any service changes would be patient safety, improved outcomes, and treating patients closer to home.

The Trust is meeting today with other health organisations, GPs, patient groups and councillors to talk about ideas for the future of services at Dewsbury, Wakefield and Pontefract hospitals.

A public consultation is planned for January 2013.