Health bosses approve radical plans for Dewsbury and District Hospital

Some of its maternity and children’s services will also be moved to Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield.

But the Mid Yorkshire Hospital Trust has been asked to make a number of changes to its radical service reorganisation after feedback from people in North Kirklees.

Health bosses yesterday agreed that Pinderfields should the area’s main site for the most serious emergency cases, high risk births and children’s inpatient care.

Dewsbury will focus on outpatient care and planned surgery with an emergency day care unit open 24 hours.

The decision to allow the changes was made by members of the North Kirklees and Wakefield clinical commissioning groups.

It follows a three month public consultation.

Graeme Wilson, of The Campaign Company, talked through the feedback.

He said: “This has caused significant and vocal opposition from campaigners and some stakeholders, and that particularly focuses on North Kirklees.”

The board passed nine recommendations linked to the service strategy, which mean the plans can go ahead.

One recommendation asked for six changes to be made to the plans, subject to financial and clinical impact.

They included longer hours for the children’s assessment unit, urgent local assessment at Dewsbury for all patients who do not need to be admitted to Pinderfields, and more post-operative care at Dewsbury.

They also said the emergency day care unit should be consultant-led with consultants on site during the day, and provide surgical procedures and specialist assessment for frail, elderly patients.

The first phase of services changes is expected to begin in April 2014.