Bridlington Health Forum voices concern over ‘erosion of services at Bridlington Hospital’ and the future of general surgery at the site

Staff say that general surgery is only operating one day a week at Bridlington’s Shepherd unit.

Urology, vascular and plastic surgery has already gone from Bridlington to a new day case unit at Scarborough and will be joined by the rest of non-orthopaedic surgery, staff say.

The concern coincides with more findings from the recent independent survey which saw more than 1,400 responses.

Residents’ main concern regarding hospital services was access to healthcare and the travelling involved (more than 300 pointing out the issue). This was followed by the ‘inadequate’ emergency care including access to radiology, X-Rays and Scans, lack of maternity support, local surgery (including pre and post op care), access to emergency dental care along with palliative care and the Macmillan Unit.

This follows the original findings in which residents overwhelmingly voted to keep and improve hospital services.

A Bridlington Health Forum spokesperson said: “An astonishing 1,400 residents responded to an independent survey calling for improvements to local healthcare.

“The survey was conducted shortly before Prof Chris Whitty said exactly the same thing in his annual report.

“We feel the trust is accelerating the removal of services in Bridlington instead of expanding and improving them. The managed decline and devastation of local planned and elective services from the hospital not only remain profound but continue and deepen.”

A spokesperson for York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “The Trust operates day case units at both Bridlington and Scarborough hospitals, which provide different services for patients.

“More specialist and complex services are provided at Scarborough Hospital, as it has ready access to the necessary supporting infrastructure in terms of medical staffing and specialist equipment. To complement this, a broad range of surgical services are also provided at Bridlington Hospital, such as pain procedures, and surgery for orthopaedics, ear, nose and throat, maxillofacial and gynaecology patients.

“Having a day case unit at Scarborough Hospital also helps us to avoid on the day cancellations.”