Abortion and sexual health services for Huddersfield patients have been taken over by a charity that has no clinic in town.

Vulnerable women who need surgical abortions now face the upheaval of having to travel to Leeds or Manchester for the procedure.

The change in service comes after the contract to provide termination of pregnancy services, including surgical abortions, was taken over by UK charity Marie Stopes on Tuesday.

The previous contract saw Huddersfield women undergoing surgical abortions at Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax.

But earlier this year the Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation Trust lost the contract after it was put out to tender by Greater Huddersfield Clinical Commissioning Group (GHCCG).

Marie Stopes currently has no facilities in Kirklees or Calderdale but has confirmed it is seeking to open a clinic in Huddersfield town centre.

A planning application lodged with Kirklees Council shows the charity hopes to convert offices above the old Huddersfield Town supporters shop on Cloth Hall Street.

The clinic will provide some termination of pregnancy services but women requiring surgical abortions will have to travel to one of its other clinics.

Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman said he lamented the loss of local service which he feared would make the hospital “unviable”.

“It’s another example of chipping away and in the end it will destroy the hospital Trust,” he said.

A spokeswoman for Marie Stopes, said: “Sexual and reproductive health charity Marie Stopes UK is opening an early medical unit (EMU) in Huddersfield town centre, to replace the service provided by Huddersfield and Calderdale NHS Trust.

“The centre will open within the next few weeks and mean that women based in Huddersfield who are up to nine weeks pregnant and need an early medical abortion will be able to choose between centres in Huddersfield, Bradford, Leeds, Manchester or Wakefield.

“Surgical abortions are also available in both Leeds and Manchester – providing surgical options up to the legal 24 week limit.

“Women’s health and wellbeing is our utmost priority and we are providing an assisted travel policy so anyone who needs an abortion but can’t afford a taxi and is unable to arrange a lift with a relative or friend can travel to our centres for free.”

Meanwhile, an insider into the decision to award the contract to Marie Stopes over the hospital and another bidder, who has not been revealed, said the tendering process had been mired in controversy.

Rival bidders were upset when officials at GHCCG reversed their original decision and awarded the contract to Marie Stopes, following a challenge by the charity.

The charity said the CCG had ignored its cheaper £660,000 bid and only compared its £1.26m bid with the other two rivals, who also bid roughly £1.26m.

The hospital and the second bidder only put forward one proposal.

The details of how the contract proposals differ have not been revealed.

The u-turn has saved the CCG £600,000.

A spokesperson from Greater Huddersfield CCG said: "Further to tendering process, there is a period in which unsuccessful bidders can appeal.

"During this appeal process it was discovered that Marie Stopes had put forward two options for this service, one of which had not been evaluated in error.

"It was this option that has since become the successful bid."