Hospital campaigners urged councillors to block the progress of unpopular shake-up plans today.

But despite passionate pleas from Hands Off HRI supporters and others, they turned down the chance to refer the controversial proposal to the Health Secretary ... for now.

Nine members of the public spoke up against the Huddersfield and Calderdale hospitals reconfiguration plan at a key meeting of Kirklees and Calderdale councillors – the Joint Health Scrutiny Committee (JHSC).

But the eight strong panel decided to wait until the end of July when the fully costed business case will have been finished by officials from Greater Huddersfield and Calderdale clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust.

Campaigners from a range of groups appealed to councillors to get on with referring the plan to downgrade Huddersfield Royal Infirmary to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel – who in turn make a recommendation to Jeremy Hunt.

Jenny Shepherd, a Calderdale based NHS activist, said there was an “ever growing pile” of evidence that the shake-up wouldn’t work.

She accused councillors of dragging their heels.

Hands off HRI campaigners Julie Crowther (left) and Rachael Lilley cut the first anniversary cake of the campaign along with Sally Duncan, Clr Gemma Wilson, Aaron Lilley and Nicola Jowett at their stand in The Kingsgate Centre, Huddersfield.

“The JHSC is fiddling while the NHS burns,” she said.

“Help protect the NHS by acknowledging these plans are not fit for the people you have the duty to protect.”

Rosemary Hedges said: “Stand up now, while you still have the time and say – ‘Stop, we deserve better, this is not good enough’.”

Paul Cooney and Terry Hallworth questioned whether the hospital would ever get the £490m needed for the proposed new hospital site at Acre Mills, Lindley and the expansion of Calderdale Royal.

Members of Hands off HRI gather at Clr Gemma Wilson's home to record a campaign song.

Mr Cooney said he had attempted to get more information on the NHS cuts from the so called West Yorkshire Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) but had been told it was not in the public interest.

“It just shows the absolute contempt the NHS has in our region for the people it’s supposed to serve,” he said.

“This is why you, our elected representatives, have to challenge it.”

The proposed demolition of HRI is based around plans to boost community care.

But Martin Jones from the Save Slaithwaite Surgery campaign said Greater Huddersfield CCG had plans to cut funding to his GP practice, “weakening care closer to home.”

Cristina George said evidence that the proposed increase in community care was working was needed before “hospital services were decimated.”

Kirklees College student, Aaron Lilley, slammed health chiefs for ignoring Huddersfield’s 44,000 strong student population. Lindley Tory, Clr Gemma Wilson, said the question of travel times to Halifax had still not been properly answered.