Call For Rethink Believed To Be First Time Government Has Rejected Plans For Shake-Up Of Hospitals

Lawyers acting for campaigners fighting a major shake-up of hospital services have welcomed Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt’s announcement that proposals are “not in the best interests” of local people.
 
Mr Hunt has today urged NHS bosses at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, the Calderdale and Greater Huddersfield CCGs and NHS Improvement to rethink proposals which would result in the downgrading of Huddersfield Royal Infirmary (HRI).

It follows years of opposition by patients and the local campaign group Hands off HRI. Two members of the campaign group have instructed expert lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to take their fight to a judicial review. Permission to proceed to a full judicial review hearing has been granted and a three day hearing is set to take place in the High Court in June 2018.

Expert Opinion

This is great news for the campaign to save A&E and acute services at HRI.

“The decision of the Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt to order a reconsideration of the hospital reconfiguration proposals is welcome by my clients. He has highlighted the same failings in the decision making process that we have been highlighting for years as part of our legal campaign.

“We had already brought a judicial review on behalf of two local service users, supported by the Campaign group Hands off HRI, which highlighted the very same serious flaws in the process and plans as potentially being unlawful in public law terms. The case is heading to a full judicial review hearing in the High Court in June but we will now consider the response of the CCGs and Hospital Trust board.

“We believe that this is the first time the Secretary of State has halted a major reconfiguration of a hospital on this scale. The landmark announcement is a real vindication for the campaign and our clients’ case and a damning indictment for the hospital trust and CCG proposals.” Yogi Amin - Partner and National Head of Public Law and Human Rights

The NHS Trust wants to axe the A&E department at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary (HRI) and replace the 400-bed hospital with a 64-bed “planned care” facility. There would be a single A&E department at Calderdale Royal Hospital.

The plans would also see a transfer of capacity to Calderdale Royal Hospital (CRH) in Halifax, which would be expanded to have 674 beds. The costs of the plans to the taxpayer are estimated at being over £300million, proposed to be funded by a Private Finance Initiative (PFI)

However, Mr Hunt has written to the CCGs and Hospital Trust setting out his concerns about the proposals.

The Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP), which reviews proposals for changes to NHS services has raised doubts about whether the overall reduction in beds as a result of changing hospital services can be justified , Mr Hunt said.

The letter added that the IRP panel has questioned the viability of delivering a reorganisation on such a scale as well as whether funding would be in place.

Mr Hunt has asked the NHS locally and nationally to reconsider the proposals and asked for a report on progress in three months in implementing the IRP’s recommendations.

A decision on whether the judicial review will go ahead will be made once the Hospital Trust and CCGs have confirmed their response to Mr Hunt’s decision