Public get chance to scrutinise NHS plans

North Yorkshire County Council’s Scrutiny of Health Committee will meet at Sneaton Castle in Whitby on Friday and members of the public will have an opportunity to comment on new and proposed developments in health care.

Topics to be examined and discussed include work on a new vision for Whitby Hospital, services at Scarborough Hospital for stroke patients, and developments affecting the minor injuries unit at Malton Hospital.

In addition, the committee will be examining changes to the way GP surgeries are funded in rural areas. The Government has faced an outcry over plans to phase out compensation payments for GP surgeries with low footfall – which top-up their funding.

Critics claim the move will mean practices in rural areas are forced to close.

Coun Jim Clark, chairman of the scrutiny committee, said: “These are all issues of immense importance to local people, and it is essential that they should have the opportunity not only to examine the proposals and developments, but also to comment on them.”

Health chiefs are debating whether to sell off part of the site of Whitby Hospital and use the proceeds to build a new hospital. They say the current hospital is oversized and investing in more community services will allow more people to be treated in their own homes or close by.

It will also discuss a shake-up of urgent care services in Scarborough and Ryedale. Services are provided at locations including Castle Health Centre, Malton Hospital and the GP out-of-hours service. It is proposed current services are replaced by two
new urgent care centres, with one in Scarborough and one in Ryedale.

The meeting will be held at Sneaton Castle, Whitby, at 10am on Friday.