Labour MPs Paula Sherriff, Dewsbury, and Jo Cox, Batley & Spen, have secured a public meeting with Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust to address local concerns about changes at Dewsbury and District Hospital.

Stepping up their campaign to protect the hospital from the effects of a planned downgrade of services, the MPs are working together to raise key concerns about changes to A&E and maternity departments.

After meeting with the interim Chief Executive of the Trust last week the MPs have also written to the Health Secretary to raise further concerns about ongoing issues, particularly in relation to acute care.

Following a number of alarming complaints from constituents, Ms Sherriff has secured an adjournment debate in the House of Commons on Monday evening to raise concerns about staffing levels at the hospital.

Mrs Cox said: “We continue to have serious concerns about the way the trust is running our hospital. We are determined to use every avenue available to us here and in Parliament to continue the fight for DDH and make sure those concerns, and the concerns of local people, are addressed.”

Ms Sherriff said: “Our concerns stem from the information that we, as MPs, receive from patients with complaints, anecdotal information, internal whistle blowers and formal accounts. These suggest to us that there are some serious problems both within and affecting the Trust. It is imperative we get to the bottom of them.”

A review is under way looking at the timeline of the reconfiguration. This will be complete before the end of April and will look at whether or not the reconfiguration would help the current issues, or whether it would make them worse.

The MPs are in discussions with the Trust about when and where the public meeting will be held.

Mrs Cox added: “Although the changes being made at Dewsbury, and to the Trust as a whole, are very well advanced at this stage we both remain very concerned about the lack of information the public have about them.”

Ms Sherriff added: “Our constituents remain extremely worried about the proposed loss of services at our hospital. We will continue to hold the Trust to account and fight for the best deal for local people.”