EVERY Kirklees councillor is being urged to try to save local hospital services.

And many of them have already agreed to do so, by contacting independent experts when they visit Huddersfield.

The Independent Reconfiguration Panel will be in town next week.

It is to examine the background to a controversial move to shift some maternity services away from Huddersfield Royal Infirmary to the Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax.

The proposals attracted such a storm of protest from the public, three MPs, councillors and the Examiner that Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt asked the panel to examine the issues.

The Save Our NHS protest group - set up to keep the services in Huddersfield - is now calling on every Kirklees councillor to support the plea for keeping all the maternity services.

Their case was highlighted in an impassioned speech by a campaigner.

Barbara Farrand, a member of Save Our NHS, addressed the full Kirklees Council meeting at Huddersfield Town Hall this week.

She stressed the importance of keeping all services in Huddersfield, not just maternity facilities.

She said an ever-expanding town centre needed all the services intact.

She added: "It's a large town and it is growing. We're bigger than Halifax and Dewsbury and we need the services."

Mrs Farrand also expressed concern at the time it takes to reach Halifax.

She urged every member of the council to write a letter to the panel, giving their reasons why the services should stay.

She added: "Please try, all of you, to write a small letter. It could be one of you stuck on the dual carriageway to Halifax."

The letters will go with members of the Save Our NHS group when they travel to London on July 25. They will be lobbying at Westminster.

Kirklees Council leader Clr Robert Light said the authority intended to tackle the transport issue soon.

The review panel will be in town on July 7 and 11. Its chairman, Dr Peter Barrett, said: "We are looking at whether the proposals will ensure safe, effective and accessible maternity services for the people of Calderdale and Huddersfield."

A panel spokesman said: "We want to hear from anyone who has new evidence for us to examine.

"If they contact us, we will make an appointment to meet them.

"We have access to all the previous evidence gathered on this issue and we are listening.

"The email and the telephone line are there because of the urgent need to make the arrangements."

Examiner editor Roy Wright has already arranged a meeting with the panel and will submit a dossier of letters to the paper voicing concern on this issue.

Letters to the Examiner should be sent to The Editor, Huddersfield Examiner, Queen Street South, Huddersfield HD1 2TD or email to letters@examiner.co.uk

* To give your views to the panel contact the communications team at the West Yorkshire Strategic Health Authority on sha.enquiries@ westyorks.nhs.uk or 0113 295 2141.