Campaigners fighting to save Huddersfield’s A&E unit are taking their battle to the most powerful politicians in the land on Monday.
A decision on the Right Care Right Time Right Place plan – the largest shake-up of NHS services in Huddersfield in a generation – is expected on October 20.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the controversial proposal, which would end decades of emergency care in Huddersfield, was a matter for ‘local determination’.
The people of Huddersfield disagreed – and on Monday campaigners will be taking a petition with 134,000 signatures against the plan to Mr Hunt’s Department of Health in Westminster.
They will also be taking the petition to Number 10 Downing Street, home and office of Prime Minister Theresa May.
Leading the charge, campaign group #HandsOffHRI will be setting off from St George’s Square in Huddersfield at 7.30am.
They will head for Trafalgar Square where they will be joined by other groups from across England campaigning to safeguard services at their local hospitals.
This includes the successful Save Lewisham Hospital campaign which beat Mr Hunt in the Court of Appeal over the proposed downgrade of the South London hospital.
Also joining the battle will be campaigns from Grantham, Banbury, Ealing, Chorley, Lambeth and South West London.
Following speeches in Trafalgar Square the group will walk down Whitehall.
A small party, including Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman, Colne Valley’s Jason McCartney and Dewsbury’s Paula Sherriff, will go onto Downing Street to deliver the petition to Number 10.
Meanwhile a larger party will deliver another copy of the petition to the Department of Health across the road.
Campaigners will then continue the rally in Parliament Square before leaving London – hopefully with the faith that Britain’s most senior politicians will realise that Huddersfield’s A&E closure is far from a local issue.
#HandsOffHRI secretary Nicola Jowett said: “Our visit is in response to the letter to Jeremy Hunt asking him to come to Huddersfield and see what we were doing.
“He said it was a local issue. We say it is not – and we are taking it to him.”
WATCH: Campaigners fight to save A&E at Funday Sunday
Follow the Examiner's live blog tomorrow for the latest updates, pictures and video from the Hands Off HRI campaigners in London.
We'll be live from 7.30am — follow our blog as we continue the fight to save Huddersfield's A&E
