UPDATE 2 – CCG & CHFT respond to more of your questions

Over the past few weeks we have collected your concerns and questions regarding the proposed changes at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and Calderdale Royal Hospital.

We sent these questions to the CCG’s and hospital trust management for them to answer.

See their responses below:

Q6: The public are wanting an easy read copy of the Right Care, Right Time, Right Place document or anything which will help them understand the NHS/CCG jargon which was mentioned today in the meeting. Is this something which could be produced??

A: Yes – a summary, easy read and a version in various languages is being produced.

Q7: What ailments could be treated at an urgent care centre? What ailments are treated at A&E in Calderdale if the changes are made?

A: To be clear, there would not be an Accident and Emergency department at either Calderdale or Huddersfield as we know it now. Both Huddersfield and Calderdale would have an urgent care centre which would be open 24/7, staffed by doctors and emergency care nurses and would have x-ray facilities. These would be the front door to care for people who make their own way to hospital with injuries and illnesses.

The types of things that can be treated in an urgent care centre include:

• Sprains and strains
• Broken limb bones
• Wound infections
• Minor burns and scalds
• Minor head injuries
• Insect and animal bites
• Minor eye injuries
• A condition that would normally be treated at the GP practice but the practice is closed or the patient can’t get an appointment as early as liked

For this arrangement to work as well as possible we would need to:

• help people understand when it is appropriate to call for an ambulance, so that those who need emergency care can be taken directly to the Emergency Care Centre
• do more to work with NHS 111 and the public so
• that people could be signposted to the best place to get the right help
• ensure that if people do make their own way to the Urgent Care Centre with problems that need specialist care, the staff in the Urgent Care Centre have the necessary skills to make sure they are stabilised and then transferred.

The Emergency Care Centre will provide care for the smaller number of patients from across Calderdale and Greater Huddersfield who come into hospital as emergencies with very serious, life-threatening injuries or illnesses, such as:

• Loss of consciousness
• Persistent, severe chest pain
• Suspected stroke
• Sudden shortness of breath
• Severe bleeding
• Serious injuries
• Severe stomach pain
• Severe allergic reactions
• Severe burns or scalds

The majority of these patients already come to the hospital by ambulance At Calderdale there will also be an Emergency Care Centre for patients brought in by ambulance and a Paediatric Care Centre for children who are seriously ill.

Q8: Why is the formal consultation 12 weeks and not 6 months long??

A: Consultation processes are set out in law which require a minimum of 12 weeks. The issue is not the length of consultation but ensuring that there are sufficient opportunities that are provided for the public to contribute. The plans for consultation are being independently quality assured by the Consultation Institute and are scrutinised by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. At the recommendation of the OSC the consultation time period has been extended to 15 weeks to take account of the Easter period.

Q9: Which hospital is more accessible if there is an accident (with casualties) on the M62?

A: Clearly this depends on where the accident is and the type of injuries received. Significant major trauma resulting from a road traffic collision is often taken by air ambulance to Leeds or Pinderfields, particularly if it involves, head or spinal injury.

Q10: How many beds will be lost at HRI?

A:There are currently 400 beds at HRI and 400 beds at CRH. Under the plans there would be 120 beds at HRI and 615-700 beds at CRH.

Q11:What would the opening hours of an urgent care centre be?? Others throughout the country run from 8am-8pm so outside those hours odds are you would need to visit A&E

A: The Urgent Care Centres would be open 24/7, staffed by doctors and emergency care nurses and would have x-ray facilities. These would be the front door to care for people who make their own way to hospital with injuries and illnesses.

Q12: Currently A&E acts as a backup when other parts of the NHS system fails, for example vulnerable people, homeless people, people with mental health issues may present at A&E when they have no access to other alternatives.  How will the changes proposed impact this situation?

A: These types of patients would still be cared for within the Urgent Care Centre at each site.