Save Huddersfield NHS is a minor British political party registered in 2006.[1] The party campaigns against a proposed reorganisation of National Health Service facilities in the Huddersfield area and is led by Dr. Jackie Grunsell, a local general practitioner and member of the Socialist Party.[2] The party contested elections to Kirklees Council, West Yorkshire, England in 2006–2008.
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The organisation was initially formed as a pressure group after a public meeting in February 2006 against the Kirklees and Calderdale NHS Trust Board's proposals to close St. Lukes Hospital and transfer services (including maternity care) from Huddersfield to Halifax and Wakefield.[3] The group organised a petition signed by over 50,000 people opposing the changes and three protest marches.[4] On 21 March 2006 Save Huddersfield NHS was registered as a political party with the Electoral Commission.[1]
The party nominated three candidates to contest the elections to Kirklees Borough Council in May 2006.[5] Dr. Grunsell, the party leader, was elected for Crosland Moor and Netherton ward with a majority of 807, defeating the sitting Liberal Democrat councillor.[6] She claimed her election was due to the electorate's disillusion with "mainstream parties" and warned that "this sends a very clear message to all those parties that you need to fight for the people you represent if you want to maintain your positions - or people who are prepared to stand and fight will take those positions from you." She went to explain that her party would not limit themselves to health issues, but would "fight on other issues".[4]
In the following year the party stood a single candidate, again contesting the Crosland Moor and Neteherton ward. Like Grunsell, the candidate was an active Socialist Party member.[7] He failed to be elected.[8] The 2008 local elections were the last contested by the party: the same candidate contested the same ward as the in the previous year.[9] The party slipped into third place, behind the Labour and Conservative parties.[10]
Although still listed as leader of Save Huddersfield NHS in April 2010[11], Grunsell defended her seat on Kirklees Council at the 2010 elections as a Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidate. She was defeated, falling to fourth place with 1472 votes.[12] [13]