Yvette Cooper MP

 

MPs call on Health Minister to bring in outside help for Pontefract A&E

Local MPs Yvette Cooper and Jon Trickett have met Government Health Ministers and regional health bosses to call for outside help to be brought in to help re-open Pontefract A&E.

They have told health Minister Simon Burns, and bosses at the Strategic Health Authority based in Leeds of the strength of anger in the area about the local hospital. 

Mid Yorks Hospital Trust have so far failed to find a solution to the lack of doctors which forced the night-time closure of Pontefract A&E in November.

Now the MPs have asked the government to step in with some extra outside help to sort out the problem.

Yvette also handed over a letter and petition from schoolgirls Tiegen Pollitt and Emma Nicholson, asking the Prime Minister to make sure the department can be fully reopened.

In the letter, the girls talk about how people they know who have relied on Pontefract A&E and enclosed a petition signed by all students and staff at Darrington School.

Yvette said:

“Tiegan and Emma’s campaign shows how strong public feeling is, how local families rely on our local A&E and how betrayed they feel at this broken promise.

“It’s vital the department is reopened as soon as possible but it’s clear the Trust management are unable to find a solution on their own. That’s why the government and regional health bosses need to send in outside help to get A&E reopened.”