"The panel were nothing short of being contemptuous of the public who had gathered at both meetings"
`NHS staff planted in audience'
TORY councillors have condemned consultation over the future of Huddersfield Royal Infirmary as a "sham".
Their outburst came after two public meetings to hear concerns about the plans.
Three Tories on Kirklees Council said NHS staff were planted in the audience.
Any comments made by ordinary members of the public were brushed aside with contempt, say the councillors.
Holme Valley councillors Nigel Patrick, Ken Sims and Donald Firth hit out at the way two meetings were conducted in Huddersfield and Holmfirth.
In a joint statement the three councillors said: "It is our view that both these meetings were a sham, chaired by a professional PR man with a selective programme and with planted NHS staff in the audience.
"The panel were nothing short of being contemptuous of the public who had gathered at both meetings.
"They insisted that they were consulting and taking on board residents fears and views.
"But every time something was said against their consultation document, the answer they gave was simply a threat that Huddersfield and Halifax people would lose services and have to travel even further to areas like Leeds, Sheffield, Barnsley and Manchester.
"The public are the shareholders in the NHS and it is they who should be telling the board what to do, not the other way round."
Hundreds of people have signed petitions against a shake-up which will see many services switched from Huddersfield to the Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax.
Children's and maternity wards are among those under threat.
But health chiefs denied the allegations made by the Tory councillors.
Kevin Holder, chief executive of Huddersfield Central and South Huddersfield NHS primary care trusts, said: "We acknowledge the concerns expressed by the Holme Valley councillors and we refute them. The meetings were independently chaired to ensure a fair process.
"All questions and comments were recorded and will be fed into the process."
Mr Holder also appealed for more comments to be made about the shake-up plans.
