MP's warning over hospital fight

WHAG – Whitby Hospital Action Group – is preparing a dossier for Scarborough and Whitby Tory MP Robert Goodwill regarding Whitby Hospital.

It alleges that the NHS North Yorkshire and York has breached the NHS Constitution over its approach to maintaining services on the site.

The dossier states NHS bosses must be stopped from "reducing health services in Whitby to a level where the community is at 'serious risk' in terms of the National Patient Safety Assessment". Alf Abbot, of WHAG, hopes Mr Goodwill take the report to health ministers.

Mr Abbot said: "The aim of the campaign is to slow down or stop the PCT closing and destroying Whitby Hospital.

"The whole idea now is to take them on on the NHS constitution which is the law of the land for the health service. There have been cutbacks all the time.

"They have restricted A and E and are talking about closing a ward down in October.

"WHAG members found that the intentions of the PCT could not possibly provide services and primary healthcare for the residents of Whitby and surrounding areas in accordance with the NHS Constitution rights and pledges."

WHAG organised a petition three years ago to save maternity services at Whitby which attracted thousands of names.

Maternity services did end up being centred on the new unit at Scarborough. But while Mr Goodwill said the new campaign was a symptom of concern about other services at Whitby Hospital, he added: "But I would caution them against getting involved in some complex legal matter, which could be very expensive."

He had been assured by the PCT there was no intention of closing it. But the problem with the sprawling 1960s site with its multiple corridors and maintenance problems was that it was very costly for the NHS to provide treatment.

Closing the door to admissions had only been a temporary measure in response to short- term staffing problems and the hospital was accepting patients again.

He suggested that the investment being made by the trust in the building did not suggest a hidden agenda to run it down – but the very opposite.

He said: "The hospital closed for admission a few weeks back due to staff problems but they quickly restored that.

"We have lost maternity and seen some mental health services taken away. But the cost of running the hospital has not gone down.

"I am absolutely determined Whitby will continue to have a hospital and the services provided are continued to be provided either in the existing building or a new building." The long-term solution could be for a new hospital, particularly since GPs as fund-holders would now be well placed to commission services on the new site and help with funding, he believed.

Chief executive of NHS North Yorkshire and York Jayne Brown said: "We take the NHS Constitution very seriously and we are committed to working within it.

"I do not believe any of the actions we have taken in respect to Whitby Hospital are in breach of the constitution.

"We believe that we have assessed the health needs for the Whitby area and a range of health services have been provided to satisfy those needs. This includes the continued provision of a range of services at Whitby Hospital.

"I gave clear assurances at a public meeting of the North Yorkshire Health Scrutiny Committee in June that Whitby Hospital would not be closing as we see it as a key part of healthcare delivery in the area. Our position has not changed since then.

"However, we have never made any commitment to maintain a certain level of beds or specific opening hours of certain services."