Meetings reinforced fears on health cuts

The public meetings and the manner in which they were conducted have only served to reinforce concerns about the future integrity of a hospital which has already lost a number of significant clinical facilities.

The presentations spoke of the benefits of changes geared towards “sustainability” and “centralisation”, and contrary to how the scenario is now being portrayed by York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group and East Riding CCG, working under the auspices of the Humber, Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership.

A united Scarborough, with the public, health employees, organisational, business and local authority sectors, is the only means of ensuring that the review does not lead to a York-centric outcome and a downgrade of local services.

A number of experienced and respected senior medical professionals familiar with Scarborough Hospital have flagged up concerns – and the public respects their judgement and experience.

In addition to our geography and the serious implications for transport and travelling times for Scarborough, Whitby and Bridlington people, 30,000 new homes are earmarked for the borough over coming years.

Scarborough’s industrial and business base is also expanding, with Sirius Minerals investing billions of pounds in developing the new potash mine in the borough, McCain Foods investing more than £100m in its Scarborough plant, and there are 11 major engineering exporters. There are also plans for a major offshore windfarm off the Yorkshire coast and Scarborough

Business Park expansion plans – all strongly reinforcing the absolute need to maintain, protect and perhaps grow Scarborough health services.

There are issues of local recruitment and retention which have been exacerbated by reductions of clinical services over the years and which require more concerted promotion.

The preparation and presentation of the public meetings at the Royal Hotel has broken trust with the public; York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation has a duty to restore that trust, starting by revealing the remit that was provided to the McKinsey consultation group and stating why York services are not subject to the same review.

Scarborough Business Ambassadors

Castle Group, Salter Road

Scarborough