Calderdale Council's plea for Government to act over NHS 'crisis' after dad tells of eight hour wait in 'too busy' A&E with sick child

Describing his own recent experience with a sick child at Calderdale Royal Hospital, councillor Adam Wilkinson said the service was overwhelmed.

“Being told by 111 that your one-year-old needs to see a doctor within six hours only to receive a text minutes later saying there’s nobody available and your case has been closed.

“The eight hours in A&E only to be asked to leave because they’re too busy.

“It’s not the fault of the staff because they are overworked, underfunded and under-resourced,” said Coun Wilkinson (Lab, Sowerby Bridge).

A majority of councillors supported a Labour group motion calling on Calderdale Council’s Chief Executive, Robin Tuddenham, and Leader, Coun Tim Swift, to urge the Government to address underfunding, fully fund a backlog of maintenance work, fully fund staff pay claims and address recruitment and retention issues.

Presenting the motion, Coun Silvia Dacre (Lab, Todmorden) said: “I’d be surprised if there is any member here who hasn’t had contact with residents who are in despair and are frustrated at the difficulties of getting appointments at their local GPs.”

Recently in Todmorden the local practice met residents at a ward forum and were as upset as they were – the system under pressure because of telephone systems not fit for purpose, a shortage of GPs and tensions arising at reception because people got frustrated, said Coun Dacre.

“Fundamentally this is a national health service, it is the responsibility of national government and over the last 13 years this Government has failed in its duty of care to the NHS and to those of us who use it,” she said.

Coun Colin Hutchinson (Lab, Skircoat) said there were issues including nursing vacancies, lengthening waiting lists and despite some recent uplift no extra funding for key training, capital projects and public health, driven by political decisions including “economically illiterate austerity”, he said.

“We’re now heading into austerity part two, the sky is dark and the chickens are coming home to roost,” he said.

Coun Josh-Fenton Glynn (Lab, Calder) said at the time of the 2012 Olympics the NHS was one of the UK’s proudest assets.

“We have gone in this short time from being the envy of the world to a crisis, and that is because of poor decisions,” he said.

But Coun Howard Blagbrough (Con, Brighouse) said in some ways some things could be fixed at lower level and it was about service delivery.

For example, doctors trained locally but then went to work in a city, he said.

It was a familiar story that people in his ward said GPs were good but the system overwhelmed, said Coun Martin Hey (Green, Northowram and Shelf), who added extra homes which were likely to be built in his ward worried people because demand on health services would be stretched further.

Coun James Baker (Lib Dem, Warley) said most people when polled would accept 1p extra on income tax if it was going to the NHS.

“It’s clear to most people in this country the NHS needs more funding,” he said.