The catastrophic PFI deal in nearby Halifax 20 years ago means that Huddersfield local NHS services need to find more savings along with introducing 24hr care. Keeping patients awake all night to care for them will be a challenge but local managers are determined to have a go.
The major saving will be to relocate all the A&E services for Yorkshire to North Wales, which are very under utilised in the winter but a popular holiday destination for many Huddersfield residents in the summer. The additional distance is also seen as an advantage, for instance:
– fewer patients will arrive alive but diesel is cheaper than drugs, doctors and nurses
– fewer timewasters will make the journey just to keep warm, and there isn’t a bus
– drunks will be more sober on arrival after a 2 hour trek down the A55 and therefore easier to discharge
Other places were also considered with top contenders Brittany and Cherbourg only just missing out as the French still refuse to acknowledge the existence of “le weekend”.