Hague hits out over Friarage Hospital cuts

Health bosses have been reviewing services and yesterday revealed they are recommending a downgrade of Northallerton’s Friarage Hospital’s maternity and paediatric services which could mean mothers to be in remote parts of Yorkshire facing journeys of up to 50 miles to the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

Amanda Owen, a mother-of-six, who lives on a remote Swaledale farm, who has given birth to three of her babies on the roadside while trying to get to hospital has warned people will stop living in the Yorkshire Dales if its maternity services are moved further away. She was among thousands who marched against the plans earlier this year.

In a report published yesterday the Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) recommends only mothers facing low risk births can use the Friarage. Inpatient paediatric services would no longer be provided.

The recommendation will be discussed by the Board of NHS North Yorkshire and York, the Primary Care Trust (PCT) at its meeting on September 25. If approved, a public consultation will begin.

Last night Mr Hague, who is the MP for Richmond, said he was concerned the changes, which he dubbed a “serious blow”, if allowed to go ahead, could eventually mean the unit was unsustainable, forcing it to shut.

“If the PCT accepts this recommendation it would mean that at least 700 births and possibly more, would no longer be eligible to give birth at the Friarage. Mothers-to-be would be expected to travel to the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough or elsewhere to deliver their babies.

“Around 500 women would be eligible to give birth at the Friarage under the proposed model but if this falls to 300 deliveries or fewer then this presents a substantial risk to the safety of patients. There is the very real possibility that the unit would become unsustainable and be forced to close.

“We must maintain our opposition to these changes and I call on the Trust and CCG to ensure these vitally important local services are maintained.”

Senior NHS officials have maintained keeping the status quo is not an option amid a need to streamline services. Women would travel to centres such as Middlesbrough, Harrogate and York to give birth.

More than 1,250 babies were born in 2010-11 at the Friarage Hospital, making it the smallest maternity unit in the country. Leading specialists are warning it is unsustainable to maintain full paediatric services at the hospital which will have a knock-on impact on maternity care.

Dr Vicky Pleydell, the CCG’s shadow accountable officer said: “After careful consideration, our Council of Members, made up of all local GPs, has recommended an option that would see a midwifery led maternity unit and an short stay paediatric assessment unit at The Friarage.

“Our duty is to commission the safest, most high quality services and clinical evidence tells us that this option will allow us to do this whilst, ensuring we remain within our allocation of funding.”