Save Bridlington Hospital

EAST RIDING MAIL Front page; 10/03/04

Recruitment Battle hits Bridlington Hospital 's Minor Injuries Unit

Health Officials say they are pulling out all the stops to keep the Bridlington & District Hospital 's Minor Injuries Unit open 24 hours a day, despite the latest staffing crisis. The pledge comes after the number of specialist nursing staff at Bridlington hospital's (MIU) dropped from nine to three. It means patients visiting the unit at night will now be treated by an on-call Doctor instead of an emergency Nurse Practitioner which came into effect in July 2003 when the Bridlington & District Hospital re-opened after been closed for some 10 months due to once again; a staffing crisis; a direct result of non-advertising by previous Scarborough Trust management; which I may add was proved; they said they tried to recruit nurses for the towns (MIU) this caused the (MIU) to close over-night from 8.00pm to 8.00am the next day.

This caused an outrage in Bridlington which led to the setting-up of the now: Save/Support Bridlington Hospital Campaign which continually runs to over-see Bridlington hospital's future secure. The article goes on to say; Alison Guy , Chief Executive of Scarborough and North East Healthcare NHS Trust, has vowed to recruit more staff. She said: we've come up against problems maintaining the level of trained staff needed to run the (MIU); we will carry on trying to recruit. Previous staff shortages saw the (MIU) close from October 2002 until 1 st July 2003 ; most people in Bridlington found this totally unacceptable and signed a Petition totalling some 17,500 signatures which was presented to the RT. Hon. Greg Knight MP at a prearranged meeting the Bridlington Town Hall in front of many Councillors and our previous Mayor Mr Ken Hodgson (deceased).

We must remember we are now approaching the busiest times; Easter and the Summer holiday's when Bridlington's population boosts from 33,000 plus to a staggering 100,000 with visitors and caravan sites re-opening; our hospital is once again at its busiest.

Questions that must be asked!

1. Why has staffing at the hospital been allowed to drop so severely in such a short time?

2. How come we are suddenly (6) Nurses short? Did no-one pick-up on this at the early stages?

3. The MIU as only been open 9 months and already we are back to having a crisis; having the same problems once more?

4. Withernsea Community Hospital has just been closed for a few months due to MIU staff shortages; they have managed to recruit in a short space of time?

5. How long are we to put up with this constant scenario of staff shortage? When are contingency plans going to be adhered too.

6. We would like to know if the Scarborough Healthcare Trust have been recruiting continuously or have they relaxed there advertising?

7. How long before the MIU closes it doors once more………..lets face reality……its happened before; it can happen again.

It is totally unacceptable to expect the people, residents and visitors to Bridlington be put through this continuing saga whilst the Scarborough NHS Healthcare Trust gets it act together. Fears are that our MIU will have its doors closed once more in the foreseeable future unless contingency plans are put into operation.

At the beginning of January this year 2004 we saw the Night-porters reduced from 2 to just 1 at night increasing the work-load for one man; grievances were put in place by staff but as yet nothing as been achieved; Bridlington hospital survives on one-night-porter; the Trust; well there dragging there heels; what's new.

back