THE future of Bridlington Hospital seems uncertain again after a leaked document revealed possible staff cuts, a loss of beds and more patient transfers to Scarborough. The documents showed the extent of the problems faced by Scarborough and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust, which could see at least 2,200 more people a year being sent to Scarborough Hospital.
That would be under a proposal to close Bridlington Hospital to all emergency admissions.

On average, Bridlington Hospital receives between six and 10 emergency admissions a day for such problems as chest pains and infections.

Other cost-cutting recommendations for the trust included 99 job cuts, some of which would be at Bridlington Hospital.
This would be through non-replacement of staff and would include both medical and clerical positions.

A review of bed management could mean the loss of 35 beds in Bridlington, the majority of which would be surgical.

Accountancy firm Price Waterhouse Cooper was brought in to review the trust's finances and produced a document of suggestions.
If the trust is not able to deliver the financial savings required within the next couple of months, external agents are expected to be brought in to sort things out.

Communication manager Gilly Collinson said: "Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Healthcare NHS Trust is working on a detailed plan to bring its finances back into balance so it can ensure a secure future for healthcare services locally.
"The Price Waterhouse Cooper report makes recommendations as to how savings can be made while ensuring appropriate and safe services are provided for local people."

Terry Cunliffe, spokesman for the union Amicus, feared things would get worse in an already suffering NHS.
He said: "We are extremely concerned and will expect and demand a full and detailed consultation.
"We won't support cuts that affect patient care and will fight nationally, regionally and locally to protect members' jobs and the patients they care for."

The report also means it is unlikely Bridlington Hospital's Minor Injuries Unit will re-open overnight in the near future because of staffing levels.
It is currently closed from 9pm until 9am.

An angry Bridlington couple have hit out at the service they received when their grandson was ill.
The concerned grandad took the 11-year-old to Bridlington Hospital after he started vomiting and turned bright red at 1am one night recently.

He said: "We got to the hospital at 2am and it looked shut down. I told them my grandson was very ill and I was told I had to take him to Scarborough or Hull."

He decided to take him home and called Field House Surgery, were he is registered, which said it would get in touch with a doctor.
At around 3.30am a doctor rang the grandparent and told him to give the boy paracetamol, keep an eye on him and take him to the surgery when it opened at 8.30am. The grandad said: "We didn't know what was wrong with him and you don't know if it's something like meningitis."

Iain McInnes, interim chief executive of the trust, said some of the report's proposals to balance the books had already been implemented while others are being considered in more detail.
"There are also further schemes that tackle some bigger issues, which are likely to include some service changes and re-organisation.

"However, these reconfigurations will benefit patient care and ensure clinically safe services as well as resulting in financial savings for us.
"All the schemes will be discussed with our clinical staff, staff and patient representatives, and our partners in primary care trusts.

"Local people deserve hospital services that are clinically safe and provide good value for money.
"If patient choice is to be a reality, we have to be able to demonstrate to our local communities that we can be trusted to deliver first class health care.

"We have a very short time to produce a robust plan to ensure the trust returns to financial balance in the shortest possible time scale. An outline draft plan has been submitted, we now have until the end of the month to submit a more detailed plan."

The document was leaked to the Free Press' sister paper the Scarborough Evening News.

Save Bridlington Hospital campaigner Mick Pilling said 12,000 people had signed his petition to re-open the Minor Injuries Unit. People should return petitions to 12 New Pasture Close or ring him on 671926 to collect them before September 30.

Letters to MP's; Police & other:
Bridlington Police Station
Ashville Street
Bridlington 
YO16 4EW

Copy please to: Regional Borough Commander
From Mick Pilling (Chairman) Save/Support Bridlington Hospital Campaign Action Group
12, New Pasture Close,
Bridlington  
YO16 7NT
Tel: 01262 671926
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.savebridlingtonhospital.co.uk

Saturday 23rd September 2006

Dear Inspector Jackson;

I am the chairman of the above group; I am fighting for a fairer NHS for all and have been doing so for the past 4yrs+.

My reason for e-mailing you is to ask for your support and your fellow officers regarding the recent changes at Bridlington Hospital; you will most likely  be aware the Minor Injuries Unit at Bridlington Hospital has closed over night from 9pm to 9am the next day from the 4th September 2006.

Not only does this affect everyone in the town but affects our very own Police Force in Bridlington, now officers have to travel at night to either Scarborough Hospital or Hull Royal which can have a round trip of between 40 to 70 miles; this takes up very valuable Policing time; as I understand once a person/persons has been charged with any offence and arrested he must then be accompanied by an officer; should he require hospital treatment; having to travel to other towns such as Hull & Scarborough for treatment is just not warranted in this day and age; it leaves our town under-manned of police officers and vehicles, the criminals of this town are also aware of this now.

I have a Petition at present circulating our town and surrounding areas; this Petition will in due course be handed/presented to our Local MP the Rt. Hon Greg Knight; first of all we will be holding a Peaceful Protest at Bridlington Hospital in October 2006 date to be arranged and a log number to be issued from local police station as we have done in the past; the Petition at present stand at an astonishing 13,000+ with over a week to go; we expect a good few more thousand signatures to come in and also to be collected.   

 I am aware as a government body it is very hard for you to lend direct support but to know you are behind our campaign will and would be greatly appreciated.

Kindest regards Mick Pilling

Good afternoon to the following Conservative Members of Parliament in East Yorkshire & Humberside;

From Mick Pilling (Chairman) Save/Support Bridlington Hospital Campaign Action Group
12, New Pasture Close,
Bridlington  
YO16 7NT

Dear Sirs, Members of Parliament; I am the chairman of the above group;

I am fighting very hard for the NHS Services in East Yorkshire, I have fought now very hard for the past 4+ years and we have had some victories within this time. What I would like to ask and possibly recommend to the listed MP's :

Would it be possible for the 5 named Conservative Members of Parliament to band together and to fight as a team the dreadful and despicable NHS Cuts up & down the East Coast which are at present crippling the Hospital Services within this catchments area; affecting Doctors and Nurses jobs; Patients; Ward Closures; Minor Injuries Units; the Care of Patients.

The People , Patients, Visitors and Owners of Businesses & Caravans are at their wits ends with the state of the NHS as we know it; the Town of Bridlington, Filey, Hunmanby, Bempton, Flamborough & surrounding districts are all taking part in a Petition which I have organised in this area; the Petition signatures total in excess of 12,500+ with two weeks to run and many thousands of signatures yet to be collected; the complaints are strong and cover all aspects of the NHS; I firmly believe that the next voting which takes place in elections will know doubt reflect peoples full feeling.

The Trust: If the Trust cannot deliver the savings required  set out by accountants firm Price, Waterhouse & Cooper to save vast amounts of money and fail; it is stated that an outside team will be brought in to make the cuts required.......this news is very frightening and as up-set the elderly, disabled, infirm and pensioners because many will have to travel between 20 & 40 miles to hospitals in Scarborough & Hull, this stated by all is of course ridiculous and goes against what the NHS was set-up for, free at the point of admission.  

The News!   Which as just been released by way of a leaked document from the Scarborough North & East Yorkshire NHS Healthcare Trust sent to a local newspaper and printed spells the demise of Bridlington & District Hospital and others in this area; I have been fighting these cuts and closures; on the cards are: with possible cuts in all areas; including, Minor Injuries Unit not to reopen at night closed for 12 hours; Maternity Services removed to Scarborough; Cuts to Surgical beds and admissions with ward closures and the loss of nurses jobs; cuts in Medical and Clerical Staff; still in place; the complete ban on over-time, the ban on recruitment and replacement jobs; there is no security at Bridlington Hospital; the lack of Porters and the use of retired porters still in use; no doctors on call at weekends from Friday to Monday; the closure of the hospital Chemist; the list goes on....

Poor service with the Ambulances at night where patients have to wait more than the government permitted time?  Only one Ambulance in Bridlington @ Night to cover a vast rural area.  Letters to TENYAS Ambulance Service have been fruitless; Target times not met in this area for sometime (fact) Ambulances travelling too & fro from Brid to Scarborough with blues & two's sounding.

Other Hospitals hit by these cuts include: Hornsea Cottage Hospital; Withernsea Hospital; Driffield Hospital; Malton Hospital; & Whitby Hospital....these hospitals cover the areas of the listed Members of Parliament of which I am sure banded together could make a difference and Lobby Parliament?

Yours Truly
Mick Pilling 

When my Petition is ready and in its glory; we will either give it to the Rt. Hon Greg Knight MP; Lobby Parliament or take it to No 10 Downing Street. 

PLEASE PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT TO OUR PETITION & CAMPAIGN, IT'S WHAT THE TOWN WANTS

Good morning Emma Hoddinott;

COPIES TO OTHER TOWN CONCILLORS

We need your Support....Please! VIEW THE ATTACHMENTS? I have just launched another PETITION ....you will see my petition all around town in every shop, business and out-let; we have Blitz the Town already within two days we have over 2,000+ signature; with people ringing for more Petition forms.

The last time I did a petition on this scale......was 3 years ago, I then raised 17,000 signatures and presented them to: the Rt. Hon Greg Knight MP

I would like approx 20,000+ signatures this time to carry the weight necessary to sort this Trust out.

The Minor Injuries Unit will close over-night from 4th September 2006 9pm to 9am next day ....this is disgraceful; the town is in an up-roar at these plans...the 3rd time in 3 years

My aim is to go to the Trust with this Petition in its glory and demand some facilities re-assurance for the future of Bridlington & District

People are at there wits end with the state of the NHS......they have paid there dues over the years reflected in Taxes I would like the Full support of the Town Council in this matter of extreme urgency.....my Petition will run until the end of September 2006 approx; longer if we feel this is necessary due to demand.

If you listen to the people of Bridlington and there complaints about this issue; it would take you all day; peoples experience with the NHS is diabolical.......there stories of up-set, long waiting hours, having to travel to other hospitals; no transport for re-turn, long waits in A & E; people in pain; waiting for ambulances; the list goes on....

Please contact your colleagues and support what the town waits.......a fairer NHS for all   

Kindest regards Mick Pilling...chairman SAVE/SUPPORT BRIDLINGTON HOSPITAL CAMPAIGN GROUP

Subject: Reply required from Scarborough Trust From Mick Pilling (chairman) Save/Support Bridlington Hospital Campaign Action Group

Good afternoon Gilly & Chris;

Re: Our phone conversation today I have now sent in excess of some 10 E-mails to the Scarborough NHS Trust , not one person as replied, I find this absolutely absurd.

May I point out to you that your are responsible to the people who in fact pay your wages through income tax and must be held accountable for your actions.

I have ask many questions and no one but no one as responded from the Trust, I am at present putting together the biggest Petition  possibly the Trust as or will see in some time; at present it stands @ 11,000+ with over 2 weeks to run and many thousands to come as yet.

It will be served on the Trust in due course with the backing of MP's & Councillors and other dignitaries

Those who do not respond will be subject to my asking for there resignations in due course; the questions have not been hard to answer but getting the truth from the Scarborough NHS Trust as always been met by spin & hype.

In the month of October 2006 we will be organising yet again a very large Peaceful Protest @ Bridlington Hospital to include: Television; Radio; Unions; Newspapers; Councillors & MP's also reporters.......date to be arranged in due course

11. Questions asked?  Do you have the answers?

1. What as happened to Ms Alison Guy & Bernard Flynn ....are they still suspended on full pay; tax payers money? The investigation is over people have a right to know...don't they?
2. What as happen to the 122 named Petitions given to Dr Ian Holland in front of Television cameras in October 2005 ref Maternity Services also the £2,000 to £3,000 raised by the town of Bridlington for the Birthing Pool??  Where is the money now??
3. When is the Minor Injuries UNIT due to reopen?
4. Nurse Practitioners have been taken to Scarborough to work from Bridlington...if up-graded to A&E status will they be returned to Bridlington? 
5. Many, Many complaints are coming in about patients having to travel to Scarborough Hospital for Blood Test & Plasters Changing after operations; this was always done at Bridlington.
6. Patients are constantly having appointments changed, this affects the elderly who have trouble arranging transport; some of these appointments are changed as many as 3 or 4 times?
7. Nurses are short at Bridlington; only in the last couple of weeks 2 Nurses left the same ward; only 1 Nurse as been employed on a 3 month contract to do the work of 2......is this what nursing is about; care for the patient
8. Before the MIU was closed we have proof of many patients been refused treatment and told to go to Scarborough A&E
9. Only 1 Porter on at night in Bridlington Hospital could lead to the lose of life; no one to answer the door should a patient before suffering from cardiac problems; we have a fully functional Coronary Monitoring Unit at Bridlington, set up to save life; if the porter is working on a ward he cannot open doors? 
10. There are no security staff now based at Bridlington Hospital?
11. Nurse Practitioners we are told are on Maternity leave; false information or mis-leading information was given; they are NOT sick, pregnancy is a condition not sickness!  Government regulation now mean a person on maternity leave can be off work as long as 12 months or longer......does this mean the MIU could be closed as long as 12 months plus???

There are many more question to put to the Trust but lets not give them too much at once The constant down-grading of Bridlington Hospital as been met with condemnation & disgust.....

The whole town as pledged to demonstrate; the once more closing of the Minor Injuries Unit, the lack of facilities and nurses on wards, the amount of patients sent to Scarborough for Blood tests & Dressing changes are the straw that broke the camels back!  People have voiced there opinions very strongly; you yourself promised to keep me up-to-date this as not being adhered too.....you have let us down.

Someone must answer and be accountable.....you cannot run a hospital paid for by the people reflected in taxes without a public outcry.

I look forward to your reply Gilly & Trust Officials 

Lets see if heads can be put together to give the public peace of mind.......by the way; you have now broken all promises made at meetings