THE fate of Huddersfield hospital services will be decided by health chiefs tomorrow.
Board members of Calderdale and Huddersfield's Primary Care Trusts will meet at the Galpharm Stadium to decide whether to move key services from Huddersfield Royal Infirmary to Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax.
Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust wants to move planned surgery, maternity, gynaecological and children's services.
South West Yorkshire Mental Health Trust also plans to close St Luke's Hospital, at Crosland Moor.
Netherton GP Dr Jackie Grunsell - who has been heading a campaign against the plans - said she hoped health chiefs had heard their pleas.
She said: "We have raised public awareness dramatically. It's got to be a positive thing.
"We have put them under some pressure, which is an achievement in itself.
"How much they are going to listen to us, I don't know. But it would be difficult for them to ignore the opinions of so many people."
The plans were revealed last October, after a five-month review of services.
The NHS Trust claims the changes will keep standards high for the future - and help it meet new standards set by the NHS Litigation Authority.
If services were not moved, the Trust would have to employ more staff to make sure standards set out by the authority were met.
The plans have prompted a huge public outcry.
More than 50,000 names have been put to petitions opposing the move of services and protesters have taken to the streets for several marches.
Councillors and all the local MPs backed calls for services to stay in Huddersfield.
Campaigners are angry that patients and visitors would have to endure the stress of travelling to Halifax.
They are also worried that mothers and babies lives could be risked during emergency journeys to Halifax along the traffic-clogged A629 road.
Midwives have staged several protests against the move.
A midwife - who did not want to be named - said: "A midwife-led unit is fine if you can move women to consultant care down the hall if needed.
"But this isn't and we feel it's unacceptable.
"We have not made ourselves popular, but we really believe this will be a very unsuitable move."
The primary care trust members will meet from 9.30am tomorrow in the English Partnership Suite at the Galpharm Stadium.
Members of the public will be allowed into the meeting - but will not be allowed to comment.
A presentation of the proposals will be given during the morning.
Board members will then discuss the issues involved and vote on a decision.
Round-up of the planned health changes:
* Maternity: Only a midwife-led unit would be left at HRI - just for mothers who fit strict criteria. All other mums-to-be would go to Halifax. If a patient at the midwife-led unit needed consultant care - such as epidurals or emergency Caesarean sections - they would have to be transferred to Halifax.
* Special Care Baby Unit: HRI's unit - with 11 special care cots and three intensive care beds - would move to Calderdale Royal Hospital. The overall number of cots would drop from 28 to 24.
* Gynaecological: All gynaecological services would be moved to Halifax, except those carried out by GPs or at day care units.
* Planned surgery: All pre-arranged surgery would move from HRI to Halifax. This would include HRI's breast clinic - funded over the past 10 years by £1m of public donations. Four out of five breast cancer patients would travel to Halifax for operations.
* Children's services: HRI's children's ward would close and be replaced by 24-hour assessment unit. Children needing a hospital stay would have to go to Halifax.
* St Luke's Hospital: Services would be moved from the 23-acre site at Blackmoorfoot Road in Crosland Moor. Mental health services would be dispersed across other centres in Huddersfield.
Crucial decisions on the future of hospital services in Huddersfield will be decided in the space of eight hours.
The vital meeting takes place at the Galpharm Stadium
* 9am: Doors open for members of the public to attend
* 9.30am: Meeting starts for members of Huddersfield and Calderdale Primary Care Trust Boards
* 9.45am: Series of presentations on various options and consultation exercise
* 11am (approx): Questions for South West Yorkshire Mental Health Trust, Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust and West Yorkshire Ambulance Service
* 2pm (approx): Decisions on key resolutions
* 4pm (approx): Health officials briefing on decisions
