ANGER AS ANOTHER INJURY UNIT CLOSES - Town not pleased!
Hull Daily Mail Newspaper covers Petition story
05 September 2006
Healthcare campaigners have reacted furiously after the closure of another East Riding minor injuries unit at night.
The unit has now been closed at Bridlington Hospital from 9pm to 9am. Although hospital managers said it was a temporary measure due to staffing issues, they have admitted there are no plans for it to reopen.
The move follows the closures of similar overnight facilities at hospitals in Withernsea and Hornsea in January.
Pressure group Save/Support Bridlington Hospital Campaign Group has put together a petition calling for night-time facilities to be reinstated in Bridlington.
So far, 6,000 people have signed and the group aims to collect 20,000 more signatures. It is also planning a demonstration later this month.
Chairman Mick Pilling said: "People are pulling their hair out at the way the NHS is being run. The chief executive of this trust is going to be presented with probably the biggest petition he has had in his career and I hope he can deliver the goods."
Barbara Whitehead, 82, of Forester Way, Bridlington, is supporting the petition.
Mrs Whitehead was admitted to Bridlington Hospital two years ago after she was rushed to the unit because she was having trouble breathing.
She said: "It was midnight when I found out I couldn't breathe. I was just glad to go to Bridlington Hospital and I got attended to straight away.
"I really don't know if I would still be alive if I had to go to Scarborough. All I know is, I was very fortunate."
Gilly Collinson, of the Scarborough and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, said: "We should have 10 nurses to run the unit 24 hours a day. We're three short and we have one nurse who is still training.
"Everyone has tried to keep the service going by doing extra hours, but you can't sustain the service indefinitely."
Staff at the overnight unit, which averages about two patients a night, are still employed there during the day.
[email protected] contact Johnny with your stories @ the Hull Daily Mail