MIU Immediate Investigation Needed

Rt Hon Mr Greg Knight;

All is not well at the Bridlington & District hospital once again; I feel that if some kind of inquiry or intervention is not made very soon; we could have a similar incident/scenario to the one where the Minor Injuries Unit closed for approx 9 months.

The (MIU) at Bridlington Hospital is at present running on 3 Nurse Practitioners; there should be 9 working in there but claims made by; Alison Guy Chief Executive of Scarborough & North East Healthcare NHS Trust; says that due to illness, maternity leave and staff been poached by other Trusts; Bridlington is now down to only 3 nurses? When this happened previously has you may recall the Scarborough Trust claimed this was a safety issue and closed the (MIU) for some 9 month? At present it is stated by the Trust that if you call at the Minor Injuries Unit a night after a certain time; believed to be 10.00pm you have to buzz an intercom system were a night-porter will come to the door and assess the problem; in turn he will summon a nurse who will the buzz for a Junior Doctor who is on call; hopefully within the hospital to attend to you; if you can be processed and attended to you will be; other than that you will be sent to either Scarborough Hospital or Hull Royal Infirmary.

Before the Minor Injuries Unit had this problem; Night-porters had been reduced in early January 04 from 2 at night to just 1 at night and grievance procedures where set-in-place by Unions, nothing was achieved; now because the shortage of qualified nursing staff in the (MIU) as raised its head once more; the Night-porters have been increased to 2 once more; so that one man can attend to people or patients attending the (MIU) at night and wait by the door; it seems the Scarborough Healthcare NHS Trust moves the goal-posts around to suit themselves; the question and fears on everyone's mind now is how long before the (MIU) closes again? Alison Guy said; they will do all they can to keep it open but if staffing levels fall to a certain criteria; the once stated; “ Safety Issue will be used once more ”. The Trust will then be at liberty to close the (MIU) as they have always wanted to do and transfer everything to Scarborough Accident & Emergency; it makes a lot of sense to think in these terms; with what has gone on and been said in the past.

What reassurances can the Chief Executive of Scarborough & North East Healthcare NHS Trust offer the people and residents of Bridlington and surrounding areas? The (MIU) as only been open a matter of 9 months and already we have grave problems; it is common knowledge at Bridlington Hospital that there were problems back in December 2003? No-one took any notice of this? We are told that the Trust continue to advertise for staff; we have only there say so? It was most definitely proved in the past that when the Trust said they had been advertising; it turned out to be blatant lies and proved as such! Bridlington & District is now coming to its most busiest time of the year as Easter approaches and then Summer is next; the town of 33,000 plus then swells to a staggering 100,000 with caravan sites open and visitors flocking in there droves; this town needs a competent Minor Injuries Unit running correctly; efficiently and effectively; we don't want to hear that our hospital as a problem every month; how can a (MIU) suddenly find its (6) staff short and its only functioning with (3) and a Junior Doctor on call from the wards; it beggars belief

I myself and others including Unions are been denied answers from the Scarborough Trust; they do-not respond now to any questions put to them; we the public have a right to be given the answers; the Trust are paid by the people of this land; reflected in there taxes.

If you ask the same question now more than 3 or 4 times it is now construed as harassment ; this is a new technique the Trusts are using; i.e. Scarborough NHS Trust, TENYAS & PCT's; so they do-not have to answer awkward and embarrassing question and give us the truth; the whole truth and nothing but the truth; I fully believe this sort of technique needs to be outlawed forthwith.

When the Withernsea Community Hospital closed recently due to a lack of Minor Injuries Unit staff (Nurse Practitioners) I myself along with TV; Media; Councillors; Radio and people of the town caused an up-roar; this was taken on-board by the: Yorkshire Wolds & Primary Healthcare Trust; within 3 months staff were recruited and the hospital reopened; “People Power Paid Off”

The NHS; Healthcare Service; should review all; Doctors; Nurses and hospital workers wages across the board and give these dedicated people who constantly strive to save life and care for the people of this Country an adequate living wage; we would not then have all the problems we have! Whilst Chief Executive; bureaucrats and pen-pusher earn exuberant wages; the people in the front-line get a pittance.

Yours truly,

Mick Pilling

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