THE PARENTS of a girl fighting for life in Huddersfield's special care baby unit today condemned plans to shift the service to Halifax.
Iain and Mita Solanki-Willats, of Long Lane, Honley, are urging health chiefs to keep maternity services and neo-natal care at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.
Their plea comes as their tiny daughter, Hope - born 14 weeks prematurely and weighing just 1lb 13oz - clings to life in one of the hospital's intensive care cots.
Mita, 31, said: "It is draining enough, without extra travelling time.
"The day-to-day reality of expressing milk every three to four hours and travelling to the hospital is an emotional roller-coaster.
"We just have to keep going for her.
"If we had to travel an extra half-hour to Halifax it would be completely draining."
Under the proposals, the Infirmary's 11 special care cots and three neo-natal intensive care beds would all be moved to the Calderdale Royal Hospital.
The shift will see an overall reduction in the number of cots provided across the area covered by the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust from 28 to 24.
The couple have been visiting their daughter daily since she was born 64 days ago.
Mita said: "We only have one car, so I get there at about 2pm every day and Iain makes his own way up on the bus after work.
"The journey from Honley can take me between 20 minutes and half-an-hour.
"My time is just so structured at the moment that an extra half-hour and then time spent parking in Halifax would make things even harder.
"The care she is getting is working perfectly. We just can't understand why they want to centralise it in Halifax."
Medics have said Hope may need to spend more than 100 days in the unit before she is well enough to go home.
But she is making good progress, said Mita.
She said: "She is still in intensive care, but is really piling on the weight. She now weighs 4lb 6oz.
"It is just her breathing now. It would be lovely to have her home for Christmas."
