A KIRKBURTON councillor has made a last-minute plea for health chiefs to abandon plans to move hospital services from Huddersfield to Halifax.
Clr Adrian Murphy, speaking out as a member of Kirklees Council, wants Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust to reconsider its plans to transfer planned surgery, maternity, gynaecological and children's services from Huddersfield Royal Infirmary to Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax.
He said traffic problems in Huddersfield would make it almost impossible for people in outlying areas to reach Halifax in an emergency.
He said: "There is no direct route to Halifax from a lot of outlying areas that avoids Huddersfield.
"Around 1,000 new houses have been given permission in my ward alone and the situation on the Penistone Road corridor is getting more congested.
"If the services move, people will have the extended problem of getting to Halifax on the Elland bypass, which is a bad road at the best of times."
Clr Murphy slammed the NHS Trust for only carrying out trial journeys between Huddersfield and Halifax - not outlying areas.
He said: "This proposal cannot possibly give a better service in rural areas."
Clr Murphy said lives would be put at risk and he added: "The hospital trust says it is looking to get the best for people in the future, but they are not looking to the future. If they were, they would see that the transport situation is going to get worse.
"The lack of foresight shown by the Trust will put patients at tremendous risk and I am concerned this will result in fatalities.
"I can only urge them to reject these proposals, re-think them and check out all the problems properly."
Clr Murphy's plea comes just days before a final mass protest.
From 11am on Saturday, many opposed to the plans will take part in an hour-long march from Huddersfield Railway Station to the Piazza.
This will be their last stand before Huddersfield Central, South Huddersfield and Calderdale Primary Care Trusts meet on Wednesday to decide whether to go ahead with moving services.
