Protests snubbed as axe hangs over hospital minor injury units

MOVES to close hospital minor injuries units that serve thousands of people in remote Dales communities are set for the go-ahead despite renewed protests yesterday.

NHS chiefs want to axe the service at the Lambert Hospital in Thirsk, the Friary Hospital in Richmond and St Monica’s Hospital in Easingwold and farm the work out to local GP practices during the day.

Officials are concerned that because staff in these small community hospitals do not always have proper access to back-up services, patients could be put at risk.

At night, patients would be expected to travel to accident and emergency (A&E) departments at the Friarage, Northallerton, and York hospitals under proposals to considered by North Yorkshire County Council’s scrutiny of health committee.

According to figures, on average St Monica’s and the Friary Minor Injury Service treat one or two minor injury patients a day at each site during busy periods.

Most of the year it is only one patient per site. The Lambert treats three patients a day when busy.

The committee report also states more than 70 per cent of admissions are during the day when the GP surgeries are open and duplicating the same service. Sometimes there are no patients in the units even at times when the hospital is busy.

However, Hawes and High Abbotside Parish Council has strongly objected to the closure the minor injuries service at the Friary Hospital because of the impacts on people living in the Dales of Swaledale and Arkengarthdale,

Members say when the Central Dales GP Practice in Hawes is shut patients would face a 37-mile trip to the casualty department at the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton, or the Royal Lancaster Infirmary in Lancaster, 37 miles away.

A resident in Keld, Upper Swaledale, with a minor injury currently has to drive 22 miles to Richmond. Under the new proposals the patient would have to drive 41 miles to the Friarage or 37 miles to the Darlington Memorial Hospital.

Either journey would take well over one hour, and then the patient might have to wait up to four hours to be seen in casualty.

Parish councillors fear the distances and times may well put the patient off t altogether.

Doctors from the Stillington GP practice have also written in support of keeping open the minor injuries service at St. Monica’s Hospital.

Coun John Blackie said: “The minor injury service at Richmond serves the huge rural hinterland of the Upper Dales. It is 20 miles from some parts to Richmond. Now they are being asked to carry on another 20 miles to Northallerton

“It is taking convenient access to healthcare away from communities. But that does not seem to have entered into the thinking of the primary care trust.

“It would appear to be being closed down on safety rather than cost, even though it is very much for minor injuries. This undermines the self-esteem and confidence of the excellent nurses and staff.

“It is not a replacement service they are promising This is a very valuable service to our communities and it just seems to be being closed down for the sake of it when it could continue.”

But care trust chiefs say the changes are for the good of the patients. “Patient activity through the minor injury services provided in the community hospitals is very low, limiting the options to provide services in a sustainable and safe way,” the trust says.

“The minor injury services at the community hospitals have continued for some time in their present form with risks being managed by managers and staff.

“These risks have increased with potential for adverse impact on patient care.”