Scarborough Hospital briefing no-show: NHS trust is savaged by councillors

Cllr Liz Colling (Lab), called today’s snub “outrageous” after people in the town expressed fear over the possible loss of services at their hospital.

Scarborough Borough Council had advertised a members briefing at the town hall for 2pm, which was also open to the public, where a representative of York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust would talk them through a review of acute services at Scarborough Hospital.

However, as 2pm came and went the 15 councillors were told that no-one would be coming.

The NHS Trust has responded to claims of cuts: see here.

https://www.thescarboroughnews.co.uk/news/york-nhs-trust-responds-to-claims-of-cuts-to-scarborough-hospital-services-1-9397155

Cllr Colling, who helped to organise the meeting in her role as chairman of the council’s Scrutiny Board, said: “It is outrageous no-one has turned up. Councillors here have given their time to come here today, some have taken time off work so they can ask questions and talk to people in their wards who are very concerned.”

Conservative councillor Martin Smith said there was a lot of rumours flying around Scarborough.

He said: “People are very concerned about the services in the town, that is why the councillors have come here today.

“We have people who have come across from Whitby and Filey so we could hear for ourselves what is happening. It is very disappointing.”

Concerned people in Scarborough have set up a petition against any proposed cuts. See here.

After firing off a cross-party email to the chairman of the NHS Trust, Mike Proctor, Cllr Colling said he had responded to say that while he did not know about the proposed meeting with councillors he would look into what had happened.

The meeting was scheduled as York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Scarborough and Ryedale CCG and East Riding CCG, working under the auspices of the Humber, Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership, undertake an independent review of the configuration of Scarborough’s acute services.

The partnership is holding meetings in Scarborough and Bridlington today and tomorrow for healthcare professionals for what it called a look at “sustainable services” in the town.

Following rumours on social media, the Trust released a statement saying it was not looking to downgrade Scarborough’s Accident and Emergency department.

York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has been approached for a comment on the proposed meeting with councillors.