Thursday, 28 November 2013

Calderdale Liberal Democrats will fight to protect local A&E provision

Calderdale Liberal Democrat have stated that they are opposed to any decline in the quality of emergency care within Caldedale. The party has given its support to a motion passed by Calderdale Council that calls on all partners to work together to ensure continued, safe and appropriate access to 24-hour urgent and emergency care within Calderdale, in full consultation with the public.

Although the government has protected NHS funding, the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS trust face a range of budgetary pressures arising from increasing costs of health care, appalling PFI contracts entered into, and demographic pressures.

For example, while the capital cost of rebuilding Calderdale Royal Hospital is £64.6m, the PFI scheme entered into will end up costing Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust a total of £773.2m.

As a result of these pressures and a national report on the future of A&E services the local NHS trust has decided to review the shape of our unplanned emergency care service. At this stage no proposals have yet to been drawn up.

Cllr Janet Battye leader of the group said, "We want to see the options coming out of the Strategic Review in the New Year with good opportunities for open and informed consultation and debate on them. We need top quality local services that people can rely on, that means we also have to review them, modernise them, and make sure they meet our health needs. We will fight to protect, quality services for local people."

The Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Calder Valley Alistair McGregor said, "We would urge the Conservative and Labour parties to stop arguing over whose fault the PFI contracts are and start working on a cross party basis to ensure the NHS proposals meet the needs of local residents. We know the reckless borrowing and PFI schemes of the past are putting pressure on the services of today. The question is not whose fault that is but what we can do about it"