PERFORMANCE: Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust has announced the reopening of overnight accident and emergency services at Pontefract Hospital from Monday 3 September.
Earlier this year The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust signed a contract with health service provider Primecare for emergency medicine-skilled GPs to cover the Emergency Department at Pontefract from 10pm until 8am, seven days a week, initially for 12 months.
In October 2011, the trust’s board took the decision to temporarily close the emergency department between 10pm and 8am from 1 November 2011 due to a shortage of emergency doctors. It was a controversial move, questioned by local politicians.
Richard Jenkins, trust interim medical director, said in a statement: “We made a commitment to reopen the Emergency Department overnight at Pontefract and we are delighted to say that we have made good on that commitment.
“The team of GPs will work with our emergency medicine nursing staff and an on-site anaesthetist to assess and treat anyone who attends between 10pm and 8am. However if those people are critically ill or need to be admitted they will be transferred to Pinderfields Hospital as was the prior arrangement.”
The long term future of the A&E is still open to question, as the trust and commissioners are considering options for major service change.
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