Our hospital trust is currently trying to provide almost all types of hospital services on two sites, to about half a million people, yet we are up against it as it is no longer proving possible financially or from a workforce perspective.

Our clinical staff have been working with GPs from Greater Huddersfield and Calderdale over recent months to develop a new model for hospital services that will transform care for local people.  Both CCGs have already talked to stakeholders, patients and their representatives to get a greater understanding of local needs and views in relation to urgent, emergency and planned care. This month, they will be carrying out further engagement focusing on maternity and children’s services.

Under the proposals for a new model, 24-hour obstetric care will continue to be provided on one site, as is currently the case, and this site will be the same site as the specialist Emergency Care Centre. A paediatric emergency care centre, a paediatric inpatient department, neo-natal and a special care baby unit to be co-located on the same site. Paediatric inpatient medical care would also be co-located with the Emergency Care Centre. 

The Trust will continue to provide a midwife led Birth Centre on both sites and, as now, women who develop complications during the antenatal period or birth will be transferred to obstetric led care.

Looking beyond the hospital sites, we want to expand the community midwife service and skills to help encourage home births for low risk mothers and to provide the majority of ante and post-natal care in a community setting. However an ante-natal outpatient facility and paediatric outpatient facility would remain on both sites.

Your feedback is a very important part of the process and so if you would like to ask a question or provide a comment, please email HSFeedback@nhs.net. You can also provide feedback through your line manager and this will be collated and acknowledged along with the feedback received via email.