Sign our petition

By backing our Don’t let A&E be a casualty campaign, you will be showing hospital bosses that communities in North Kirklees are against proposals to take away our 24-hour consultant-led service and replace it with an urgent care centre for minor injuries and illnesses.

Since our online petition to keep a full A&E service went live on Tuesday afternoon, more than 400 people have added their support – and the number is growing.

Reporter Series editor Hannah Ridgeway said: “There has been overwhelming support amongst our readers for keeping a full A&E service at Dewsbury hospital. The Reporter Series wants to add its voice to the call to keep casualty services local.

“There may be clinical arguments for centralising some specialist services, but scrapping a 24-hour emergency service like this, seems like putting saving money before saving lives.

“That’s why this week we’re starting our campaign and urging all readers to put their names to our petition and contact us with their views.

“Don’t let A&E be a casualty.”

The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust’s formal consultation into the future of hospital services does not begin until January, but now is the time to make our voices heard loud and clear. We want hospital bosses to know how much our local A&E service and the staff who run it are valued by the communities they serve.

We want the option of closing Dewsbury’s A&E department dropped before the formal consultation.

• Show your support and sign our petition through our websites or by visiting http://chn.ge/MY2lXD