Campaigners will lobby councillors at a full meeting of Kirklees Council on Wednesday in a bid to derail a plan which would leave the borough without an A&E.

#HandsOffHRI members will be distributing letters to councillors urging them to fight the Right Care Right Time Right Place plan which would close Huddersfield’s A&E and centralise emergency care in Halifax.

Following the downgrade of Dewsbury District Hospital, it would leave Kirklees without an emergency care department.

Some of the councillors attending sit on a joint health scrutiny committee which could refer the controversial proposal to an independent review panel.

In an open letter to councillors on the scrutiny panel, #HandsOffHRI ‘implores’ members to call in the hospital shake-up.

The letter says: “I would implore you to seriously consider referring the matter to independent review as it is apparent that these plans are not supported by your constituents, the residents of Kirklees, and – perhaps more importantly – are unsafe for local residents.”

The letter also summarises concerns about the Right Care Right Time Right Place plan.

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A ‘flawed’ consultation; a ‘lack’ of travel analysis, particularly emergency ambulance journeys and the possibility of another PFI loan to build a new Huddersfield hospital, are among the issues including in the letter.

#HandsOffHRI campaign secretary, Nicola Jowett, said: “In the run up to local elections, many councillors drew on residents’ passion about keeping their hospital services, they also held an extraordinary council meeting where they voted unanimously against the proposals.

#HandsOffHRI area group leaders: Nicola Jowett

“Now is the time to act upon those campaign points and the rejection of the proposals.”

Meanwhile Huddersfield Labour MP Barry Sheerman has submitted an Early Day Motion (EDM) in the Commons urging the house to back #HandsOffHRI.

The motion urges “the Government to intervene to find a safe, cost-effective and viable alternative arrangement.”

It reads: “This House supports the campaign to save the Huddersfield Royal Infirmary A&E services; believes that patient care and clinical excellence should determine health outcomes and not narrow financial concerns.”

It asks MPs to note “that 80% of local residents are against the clinical commissioning groups’ proposed changes” and “additional travel time which will put a serious strain on Yorkshire Ambulance Service.”

The EDM is currently signed by Mr Sheerman and Dewsbury Labour MP Paula Sherriff.

EDMs require 100 signatures to stand a good chance of sparking a Commons debate.

Mr Sheerman said: “A lot of MPs will sign it. People take notice. We’re using all the tools of the trade to fight this proposal; EDMs and questions in the Commons and letters to the Health Secretary.

“We have a great campaign in the constituencies and we need to support them in Parliament.”