THE campaign to keep hospital services in Huddersfield hit the streets of London this week.
Protesters John Kenny and Mary Granger, representing the Save Huddersfield NHS Services group, held their banner aloft in Parliament Square, Westminster. They joined campaigners from all over the country who are fighting for similar causes.
The pair were leading lights in the big Huddersfield campaign to try to save hospital services in the town. And both have pledged to carry on the fight - despite the decision last week by health chiefs that several key services will be switched from Huddersfield Royal Infirmary to the Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax.
Maternity and children's services will be moved from the Infirmary in the coming months. Other services will be transferred to Huddersfield from Calderdale.
THE FIGHT goes on!
The Examiner has fully reported the campaign to keep vital hospital services in Huddersfield.
Now we are stepping up into the front line.
We're planning to join local MPs Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield), Kali Mountford (Colne Valley) and Mary Creagh (Wakefield) in a deputation to see health secretary Patricia Hewitt.
The MPs - and the Examiner - want her to urgently review the controversial decisions taken last week by the Primary Care Trust Boards in Huddersfield, which sounded the death knell for services such as maternity and gynaecology in this town.
And the Examiner plans to be there with them in the heart of Westminster, armed with the backing of thousands of our readers.
We want you to sign our letter below and return it to us so that we can forward them on to Mrs Hewitt and let her know how strongly the people of this town feel about their hospital.
We are convinced the MPs have a case and deserve our support.
Outline of the key decisions
* Planned general, gynaecological, orthopaedic and breast surgery will be moving from Huddersfield Royal Infirmary to the Calderdale Royal Hospital.
* Inpatient services for children will be moving to Halifax.
* All maternity services - except a midwife-led unit - will be moving to the Calderdale Royal Hospital. This includes special care services for babies.
* St Luke's Hospital at Crosland Moor will close. Patients needing low security mental health care will have to go to Fieldhead Hospital in Wakefield.
