Campaigners fighting to save Huddersfield Royal Infirmary won a key victory as they were awarded a judicial review into the plans.

Members of the Hands Off HRI campaign group took their battle to the High Court in Leeds where a full Judicial Review into plans to downgrade Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and close the A&E department was granted.

And campaigners were celebrating tonight with one, Mike Forster, describing the decision as “massive, just massive”.

The legal challenge was to prevent the closure of A&E and the demolition of the main hospital buildings in proposals which are set to cost hundreds of millions of pounds and result in large scale job losses.

Hands Off HRI campaigners outside CCG meeting at Cedar Court Hotel, Huddersfield.

Judge Mark Gosnell was presented with eight grounds by the claimants and accepted five of them.

These were:

* Flawed consultation

* Reduction in hospital admissions

* Travel and transport

* Public sector equality duty – negative impact on the elderly and young people

* Flawed full business case

The grounds that he refused were: Urgent Care Centre proposals; failure to consult the Kirklees Local Medical Committee and breach of the Children Act 2004.

Hands Off HRI had initially had its bid to hold a judicial review rejected by a judge and so this was a successful appeal of that decision.

The unpopular plans to shift the majority of care to Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax triggered enormous opposition when they were announced over two years ago and more than £70,000 has been raised by Hands off HRI to fight the decision through the courts.

In January the Examiner reported that permission for a judicial review had been refused leading to Hands Off HRI requesting today’s oral hearing in court to seek permission for one.

Afterwards, Mr Forster, chairman of Hands off HRI, said: “This is a great result for the people of Huddersfield and we would like to say a huge thank you to them for all the support they have given.

“This decision is a breakthrough for everyone who wants to keep the hospital in Huddersfield. Now it has been seen that the Trust’s arguments are full of holes.

“We expect the judicial review to be scheduled for a two-day hearing in June in Leeds High Court. We have put lots of time and effort into this and raised over £70,000 to make this possible.”

Leeds Crown Court
Leeds Crown Court

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust’s chairman Andrew Haigh, said: “We note the judge’s findings. We will continue to work with our healthcare partners, local communities, scrutiny and campaign groups.

“We believe that the proposed reconfiguration of hospital services is the best way to secure safe and sustainable services into the future.”

Yogi Amin, a partner at Irwin Mitchell which represented the campaign group, said: “We are pleased that we will now be able to present our case in a full Judicial Review hearing.

“The campaign has focused on saving local NHS hospital services. Our clients believe that the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust has produced a flawed business case, which does not present all the necessary evidence or follow the government guidelines. ”

Colne Valley Labour MP Thelma Walker said: “I am delighted that the judgment has taken into consideration all of the evidence, and has ruled in favour of the Hands Off HRI campaigners and the thousands of residents, medical professionals and local politicians.

“We have said time and time again that the business case which Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust put forward was flawed.

Colne Valley MP Thelma Walker.

“This is a victory for common sense. It shows that together as a community, we can achieve great results. This is a really positive step forward. My thanks go to the thousands of people who have campaigned, chipped in money and supported the campaign in any way they could.

“We must, however, be aware that Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust may appeal this decision, and that the Independent Reconfiguration Panel’s report is still to be released.

“The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Jeremy Hunt, has given an inadequate answer to my Written Question on the date that he will release the Independent Reconfiguration Panel’s report. He has said only that it will be released in ‘due course’.

“He cannot just sit on the report and expect us all to go away quietly without a fight.

“I will once again make the offer to Jeremy Hunt to come to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, where I can show him around our fantastic hospital and he can meet the dedicated professional staff who work there.

“We need to be ready for the next steps in the fight to save our hospital.”

Video courtesy of Pat Fulgoni