Time to have your say

VITAL CHANGES Health bosses say services at Dewsbury and District Hospital cannot stay as they are.

People across North Kirklees are being invited to give their views on the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust proposals, which include downgrading Dewsbury’s A&E department and making it a centre for planned surgery and rehab.

The Trust says the plans will help to save more lives, improve patient experience, bring services closer to people’s homes and make the best use of taxpayers’ money.

But 10,600 people signed a Reporter Series petition against the A&E proposals, which have sparked widespread concern.

North Kirklees Clinical Commissioning Group chairman Dr David Kelly said: “People are living longer than ever before and treatments are getting better all the

time so it is vital that health services adapt to these changes. If we don’t, we will be short changing local people now and in the future.

“We cannot stress enough how important it is for people to talk to us and share their views on these proposals, and we hope to see as many people as possible over the next three months.”

A leaflet on the proposals, which includes a questionnaire, is being delivered to 240,000 homes in the region in the coming weeks.

Public meetings, roadshows and drop-in sessions are also planned.

The first public meeting is at Dewsbury Town Hall on Monday March 11, 8pm.

See next week’s paper for a special report on the plans and the consultation.