New funding formula to bring extra cash to Scarborough and Friarage hospitals

The announcement comes from Thirsk and Malton MP, Kevin Hollinrake, who has been campaigning for a new funding formula for unavoidably small hospitals.

After the MP raised the matter in the House and then followed it up with the Department of Health, Health Minister Chris Skidmore MP told Mr Hollinrake that the independent Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA) has recently endorsed a new formula which would “better recognise the needs in some rural, coastal and remote areas that tend to have much older populations and higher needs for some community services.”

As a result, NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG, which covers Scarborough hospital, and South Tees CCG, which includes the Friarage in Northallerton will allocate in 2019/2020 an extra £1.5m (0.92 percent) through the new community services formula and will also award a further £2.9 million (1.7 percent) as both hospitals qualify for extra provision as unavoidably small hospitals in remote areas.

Mr Hollinrake said this is very welcome news, adding: “Many of my constituents rely on these two hospitals for their medical care needs. Without them they would have to travel to York as their nearest hospital and this is simply not practical, particularly if they are in pain.

"I have been working with my parliamentary colleagues, Robert Goodwill MP (Scarborough and Whitby), Rishi Sunak MP (Richmond) and Greg Knight (East Yorkshire) to secure extra funding to meet the challenges faced by these hospitals.

"Whilst we appreciate resources are tight, there does need to be a full range of services available for people living in rural areas or small towns. We want to make sure that these are maintained and that there is no further diminution in healthcare provision in these two important hospitals.”