Save Bridlington Hospital

This is a copy of the letter from the NHS, word for word; it spells out the future of Bridlington & District Hospital, please read on.

To: Mr Michael Pilling

12, New Pasture Close, Bridlington East Yorkshire YO16 7NT

From: Mark Bennett Ministerial Briefing Manager – Yorkshire & Humberside

Department of Health

Quarry House, Quarry Hill Leeds LS2 7UE – Tele: 0113 254 5000

Our Ref: TO1039470 dated: 22nd October 2003

On Behalf of: the Rt. Hon. Mr Tony Blair (Prime Minister)

Dear Mr Pilling,

Thank you for your letter of 29 September 03 to Tony Blair regarding the future of Bridlington and District Hospital. Due to the volume of correspondence received by the Prime Minister, he is not always able to respond in person. I have been asked to reply on his behalf.

As I am sure you are aware, the outcomes of the services review/planning exercise regarding Bridlington & District Hospital were published in September 03.

This exercise was undertaken by Yorkshire Wolds and Coast Primary Care Trust, Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Healthcare NHS Trust and Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale Primary Care Trust.

This report is part of a broader exercise carried out to develop a plan for how health services should be developed over the next Five to Ten Years to ensure that they continued to meet the needs of the local population. The Bridlington Project Working Group was set up to provide an overview of the proposals that had a direct impact on services provided at Bridlington and to ensure that all aspects of the work at Bridlington hospital were considered.

This is a thorough review of the services provided at Bridlington, and makes a clear commitment to further develop these services. Specifically the report recommends that there will continue to be a GP led ward, a minor injuries unit, maternity services, mental health services and a coronary monitoring unit at the hospital. The report also recommends that greater use should be made of the services for diagnosis, elective surgery and rehabilitation. Finally, it recommends that Bridlington Hospital should also include a new primary care centre and an NHS walk-in centre.

I hope that this assures you that the local NHS and PCT’s are committed to improving the services provided at Bridlington. The plan is not set in stone but is a dynamic plan. This will ensure services will continue to be reviewed over the next five years and that the proposals continue to best meet the needs of the local population.

It provides a clear positive direction for services within Bridlington, ensuring that the residents of Bridlington receive optimum care, delivered in the most appropriate setting by the most appropriate staff.

Turning to your points regarding the funding difficulties currently being encountered by, Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Healthcare NHS Trust. The Trust has put in place a three year financial recovery plan, with 2002/03 being the first year of this plan. It is also implementing a number of measures in order to achieve financial balance.

The majority of resources for the NHS are not held centrally by the Department of Health, but have devolved to the NHS locally through Primary Care Trusts. The Department of Health is not, therefore, in a position to intervene with regards Scarborough and North east Yorkshire Healthcare NHS Trust’s deficit, and this is an issue that needs to be resolved locally.

Yours sincerely Mark Bennett Ministerial Briefing Manager – Yorkshire & Humberside

This letter is in reply to the many letters sent to: No 10, Downing Street, Westminster, London SW1A 2AA and to the Health Minister Dr John Reid MP House of Commons, Westminster London SW1A 0AA; The Prime Minister and Health Secretary are far too busy to reply to the people who keep them in power.

So we must put up with New Labour’s, New Reforms and the same old problems and policies.

The Save Bridlington Hospital Campaign will go on and be at the front-line, making sure our health service is kept in perception at Bridlington & District Hospital for the future of all. Healthcare and welfare is paramount in the community.

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