Three or four minutes more to A&E could cost the lives of children.
That was the warning from a former paediatric doctor as hundreds of campaigners met for the first time to plan their defence of Huddersfield's A&E.
Health bosses are proposing to relocate the full emergency department at Calderdale and downgrade the infirmary's facility to a so called 'Urgent Care Centre'.
Members of the 43,000 strong ‘Let’s Save Huddersfield A&E‘ Facebook group organised a public meeting at Huddersfield Methodist Mission to plan the fight back.
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The 400 capacity room was packed out by local people determined to see off the proposal.
Dr Adnan Muhamed, a former consultant at the hospital trust said adults may survive the extra journey time but he feared children would not.
He said: "I know many children who are alive because of the local service - it matters. I know for a fact children, where three or four minutes more, to Calderdale, Dewsbury or Leeds, it could be a different story."
Student leader, Lianne Hunter, said: "We are going to create a mass movement to show we need an A&E in this town."
Clr Erin Hill said: "This is not about political parties tearing lumps out of each other. It's about making sure nobody suffers more than they have to."
The meeting also saw the group elect a committee for the campaign and discuss the campaign's strategy.
The Facebook community, formed by Karl Deitch, has more than 40,000 members.
Karl was elected chairman of the committee, with Rebecca Cobb, Huddersfield town centre WI president, elected secretary, and Huddersfield resident Elliot Hinchliffe elected treasurer.
