Political leaders in Kirklees have urged Jeremy Hunt to meet with them over the controversial proposals to downgrade Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.

Kirklees Council has written an official letter to the Health Secretary requesting a discussion about its “concerns” over NHS services in Kirklees.

The letter follows up on councillors’ vow to unite to fight the plan.

At a meeting in January, councillors said they would try and persuade health chiefs to leave A&E services in Huddersfield alone.

Now they have sent a letter to Westminster calling for a meeting and arranged an extraordinary meeting of councillors next month to debate what to do.

The letter, signed by all four party leaders and the chief executive, calls for Mr Hunt to listen to the views of the council.

As reported, health bosses hope to shake-up the whole hospital system across Huddersfield and Calderdale, leaving Kirklees with no full accident and emergency department.

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Their idea to move emergency care to Halifax has been deeply unpopular in Huddersfield and North Kirklees.

The plan would involve demolishing the infirmary and building a smaller “planned care” hospital adjacent to the Acre Mills outpatient centre.

Instead of a full A&E the Lindley venue would have a so called “urgent care centre”.

It would treat minor injuries and would have resuscitation facilities, but the majority of emergency patients from 999 calls would be directed to Halifax or other Yorkshire or Greater Manchester hospitals.

Meanwhile, Calderdale Royal would be expanded to cope with the extra emergency patients.

At the extraordinary meeting on March 16 all 69 councillors will discuss what they can do – if anything – to try and prevent the move.

A letter from Kirklees Council to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt requesting a meeting about the controversial plans to scrap A&E in Huddersfield.

A separate committee of councillors is reviewing the NHS proposals and has the power to refer it to the Department of Health if they are not happy with the plan.

Green and Valley Independents group leader, Clr Andrew Cooper said: “We need to present a united opposition to these proposals across the political groups to show that we are fully behind the local community and the vital need to maintain Accident and Emergency and other Acute care services at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.

“National government is the ultimate provider of funding for NHS services and decisions made at Government level have a huge influence in decisions made locally. This matter must be raised at the highest level with central government. It is simply not acceptable for the Government to say it is a matter for “local determination” as they have done in their response to the online petition.”