Campaigners from Hands Off HRI have directly urged health experts with the power to save our hospital to take a closer look at the plan for the infirmary.

It was confirmed late last week that the independent panel that advises the Department for Health will do an initial review of the suitability of the controversial hospital reconfiguration – which would leave Huddersfield with just a 64 bed unit, an urgent care centre and an outpatients centre.

In a detailed submission to the so called Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP), HoHRI has highlighted dozens of flaws with health chiefs’ proposals to all but close down the town’s hospital.

The highly technical document finds fault with many of the key issues and claims in Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust’s pitch to demolish the infirmary and build extra capacity at Halifax.

Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, Acre Street, Lindley, Huddersfield.

It raises concerns about the extra distance to Calderdale, ambulance response times, hospital chiefs’ claims that HRI is unfit for purpose, and whether the proposed bed capacity will be sufficient.

A HoHRI spokesperson said: “The ongoing and horrific Winter Crisis in the NHS has brought home why we all need local and well resourced NHS services.

“The journey time from Huddersfield to Halifax will be the difference between life and death.

“Local GP surgeries and community based services cannot make up the strain; they are already at breaking point as it is.

“Civil servants in London must come up here and see for themselves the chaos of our transport links to Halifax and we trust when they do, they will veto the trust’s plans. “Our MPs also need to make their voices heard and we are confident of their support.”

The IRP is due to decide whether a deeper probe is needed by the end of February.

Meanwhile HoHRI will also be supporting the National Day of Action called by Health Campaigns Together on Saturday.

All over the country, protests will be held outside hospitals to demand an end to the winter crisis and extra funding for the NHS.

A delegation will be joining a huge protest march is planned in London while HoHRI will also be outside Huddersfield Royal Infirmary from midday until 1pm.

They are inviting the public to join them and add their written prescriptions to the huge medicine bottles they are bringing.