Hearing into future of hospitals postponed

A LEGAL challenge to a controversial shake-up of hospital services in two West Yorkshire towns has been postponed.

A three-day hearing was due to start yesterday after NHS campaigners were granted a judicial review of the plans for Huddersfield and Halifax.

The plan would see Huddersfield Royal Infirmary (HRI) knocked down and replaced with a smaller site. Accident and emergency services for both towns would be centralised at an expanded Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax.

Action group Hands off HRI launched legal action against the proposals, which have raised fears over longer journey times to hospital.

But the planned hearing at the High Court in Leeds could be held at a later date after a separate intervention by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, inset. Last month, Mr Hunt effectively vetoed the proposals in a letter to local NHS bosses, saying it was “not in the best interests” of patients. The plan had been referred to Mr Hunt by Calderdale and Huddersfield joint health scrutiny committee last summer and reviewed by the Government’s Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP). The panel’s findings mean NHS bosses are reconsidering the proposals. Law firm Irwin Mitchell, which is representing the campaigners, said that in the meantime the judicial review proceedings will be stayed.