Opening heralds new era of NHS care

From 8am onwards there was a steady trickle of people coming to the minor injuries unit at the East Riding Community Hospital on Swinemoor Lane in the town, which also includes a state-of-the-art audiology suite, GP out of hours services, and a 30-bed community ward.

“You can see greenery from every window,” said lead clinician Nick Borrill. “We have really big sized rooms – the biggest I have seen in my nursing career – and lots of natural light. We have our own gym on the ward and a patient’s kitchen where people can practice for going home and a bathroom where patients can have assessments.”

The opening marked the closure of 36 beds at Beverley Westwood, Alfred Bean Hospital in Driffield and Hornsea Cottage Hospital. Six patients were transferred from Beverley Westwood at the weekend, and one patient discharged home from Alfred Bean on Friday. Hornsea’s inpatient ward closed earlier this year.

Barbara Hall, from Driffield Hospital Defence League, which campaigned to save inpatient beds, says the new hospital is “beautiful”, but regrets the loss of local beds, including its “excellent” palliative care facility, which allowed patients to be cared for close to home in their final days.

She said: “I walked around and had a look at it and they are providing state-of-the-art facilities – but it is not in Driffield.”

Having spent £1.3m last year on the Alfred Bean Hospital, including reconstructing the day hospital, NHS East Riding chairman Karen Knapton said it was about to spend £2m enhancing facilities at Hornsea.

She said: “When this development is complete, unless people need in-patient care, they should have more services delivered locally at the hospital site or by neighbourhood care teams which go into peoples’ homes, which have just been expanded so they run 24/7.”