FOUR out of every five patients needing breast cancer surgery could have to leave Huddersfield, we can reveal today.
They may no longer be able to have specialised operations at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary's excellent Breast Clinic - a unit which established a worldwide reputation.
It has emerged the Clinic is included in the NHS proposals publicised in October.
And it has angered people who helped raise almost £1m over the past decade to fund the highly-specialised unit.
A shock aspect of the proposed hospital service plans means beds for breast surgery are to move from Huddersfield to Halifax.
Cancer patients undergoing planned operations - including mastectomies - will have to travel to Halifax if proposals put forward by health chiefs get the go-ahead.
John Woodhead, chairman of the Huddersfield Royal Infirmary Breast Clinic Appeal (pictured above) , said the people of Huddersfield had been "conned" and vowed to fight the proposals "tooth and nail".
Under the proposals, the unit's existing four surgical beds could go, leaving facilities for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer only.
Four out of five breast operations will be carried out at Calderdale Royal Hospital.
Day surgery procedures - including lumpectomies - will continue to be done at HRI.
But only 22% of all breast operations were carried out as day cases in Huddersfield last year.
The unit currently deals with 5,500 outpatients appointments a year.
David Wise, divisional director for surgery and anaesthetics for Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust, said: "As part of the current public consultation about proposed changes to certain inpatient surgical services, the future model for inpatient breast services is also being considered.
"However, the vast majority of the clinical services provided by the breast care team at both the Calderdale Royal Hospital and the Huddersfield Royal Infirmary will remain in both hospitals.
"If the outcome is that inpatient breast services should be brought together on to the Calderdale Royal Hospital site, this would involve about 200 women a year.
"But all their appointments before and after the operation would take place at their local hospital."
