A SPEN Valley MP has been invited to meet Health minister Ben Gummer to discuss the planned reconfiguration of Dewsbury and District Hospital.
Jo Cox (pictured), Labour MP for Batley and Spen, has secured the meeting after concerns were made over plans to bring forward the restructure by 12 months.
The proposal includes plans to downgrade the hospital's A&E department, which would no longer be consultant-led.
"The Health Secretary approved these plans in 2014 but this accelerated timescale has not been approved," said Ms Cox.
"It is instead a reaction to yet more concerns from the Care Quality Commission about staffing and hygiene.
"The fears of local people, not least in respect of the A&E downgrade, are not being allayed.
"I hope we can continue to press the Health Secretary to stop and review the process, or at the very least commit to stepping in if the downgrade does not work.
"Local people have very little faith that this will work, and I will make sure the Health Secretary continues to hear the voices of my constituents, who will be directly affected."
The meeting is scheduled to take place in Westminster this afternoon.
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