PATIENTS have been reassured Bridlington Hospital will not be left understaffed when it ceases to be a training facility for junior doctors.

The decision was made by the Yorkshire Deanery, which oversees doctors' training.

Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Healthcare Trust, which runs the Bessingby Road hospital, has just weeks to make the seven new non-training appointments before the junior doctors are removed in August.

The trust has already moved quickly to appoint an interim chief executive to replace Iain McInnes, who resigned last week.

Chris Coombs, trust spokesman, confirmed Bridlington was to cease training junior doctors, but gave assurances it would not be left without cover.

He said: “It is a temporary measure to do with the on-going reorganisation and reconfiguration of the hospital.

“We are doing our best to fill the seven vacancies in time to replace the junior doctors, but it is very difficult nationally to fill these type of posts.

“Contingency plans are in place to use doctors from Scarborough Hospital, or locums, if we don't meet the deadline.”

Health trade union Unite is calling on Yorkshire and Humber Strategic Health Authority to go into Bridlington Hospital to sort out its staffing problems.

Mick Pilling (writes)  Now where have we heard this before, oh yes, it was said 18 months ago when Iain McInnes said he was going to recuit Staff, Nurses & Cleaners for the Bridlington hospital, now he's on his way leaving behind him a catalogue of services under extreme threat of closure.

Yes you go Mr McInnes we'll sort the mess out!