Hospital chiefs have been accused of lying over secret plans to move key services from Huddersfield to Halifax.

The move came after a letter to staff was leaked to the Examiner. It shows that Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust is ploughing ahead with proposals to reconfigure medical services by centralising Cardiology, Respiratory and Elderly Care Services onto single sites.

All Cardiology and Respiratory wards are set to move to Halifax and all Acute Elderly Medical wards will go to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.

Seven wards are affected, with two – Wards 21 and 11 – moving to Calderdale Royal Hospital (CRH) in Halifax. Ward 11 at HRI is earmarked to move to Ward 5B at CRH on December 2. It involves 27 beds, with an estimated 30-40 staff understood to be moving to Halifax or redeployed elsewhere.

The letter to staff from Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust outlining proposals to move services from HRI to Halifax.

The letter, dated October 31, informs staff that the proposal to centralise Cardiology, Respiratory and Elderly Care Services onto single sites “has been approved to progress to implementation stage by the Board of Directors.”

It adds: “The proposal is still subject to Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Trust quality checks and full sign-off by the Board of Directors on November 2.

“The centralisation of these services will allow us to provide the best possible care to our patients.”

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The moves are as follows:

HRI Ward 21 (currently Rehab HRI) to move to CRH Ward 8C

HRI Ward 20 (currently Orthopaedics HRI) to move to HRI Ward 21

CRH Ward 20 (currently Elderly CRH) to move to HRI Ward 20

CRH Ward 5A (currently CRH) to move to HRI Ward 20

HRI Ward 11 (currently Respiratory/Cardiology HRI) to move to CRH Wards 5B

HRI Ward 15 (currently General Surgery HRI) to move to HRI Ward 11

CRH Ward 5D (currently Elderly CRH) to move to HRI Ward 15

Calderdale Royal Hospital, Halifax
Calderdale Royal Hospital, Halifax

The news provoked an angry response from campaigners, who have set up a petition calling for the leadership of the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT), the Greater Huddersfield Clinical Commissioning Group and the Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group to be replaced.

Let’s Save Huddersfield A&E campaigner Karl Deitch said the Trust’s proposals were contrary to the wishes of Kirklees Council , local MPs, Kirklees Local Medical Committee (LMC), hospital staff and the community of Huddersfield.

In July councillors on the Joint Health Scrutiny Committee for Calderdale and Kirklees referred plans to reduce services at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary to government after hearing that the plans would mean fewer beds and a loss of jobs. Additionally they were not satisfied that questions on issues such as travel times, parking and the impact on care at home had been properly outlined.

The proposals will now be considered by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Karl Deitch

Responding to the leaked letter Mr Deitch said: They are lying, pure and simple. They are trying to deceive the whole community.

“It’s always been serious. It’s now real; they are pressing ahead. People need to understand that we need to come together. If we do not stand up for it, it will be too late. They are cherry-picking already. In a year’s time they will have already moved everything across to Calderdale.

“They are taking things by stealth. Staff morale is low. They have not consulted and they are not listening to the council or the LMC.

They are ignoring everyone and everything. They should stand down.”

The campaign’s petition has already received more than 1,200 signatures and can be found here: www.petitions24.com/letssavehri

Earlier this week a spokeswoman for HRI said no plans had been agreed.