Mick Pilling Chairman Save Bridlington Hospital Campaign Action Group

It is high time the Scarborough NHS Trust was taken over by Competent people, patients are peoples who are suffering at the hands of mismanagement at the highest level, the people of Bridlington deserve better.

A HEALTH trust that has removed services from Bridlington Hospital has been officially branded one of the worst in the country.

Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Healthcare NHS Trust received the lowest ratings in a healthcare check carried out by independent watchdog the Healthcare Commission.

Waiting times, cleanliness and infection control were just some of the failings identified by the commission.

It meant the trust received a "weak" score for its quality of services.

Poor financial management and value for money meant it was also rated "weak" for use of resources.

The watchdog rated all 391 NHS trusts in England, and Scarborough was one of only six in the country to be rated "weak" in both categories.

It was one of only two in Yorkshire, the other being North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust.

Christine Green, the trust's interim chief executive, said: "These results represent the performance during the year ending March this year.

"Everyone is aware the trust experienced significant difficulties during that year and in previous years and the weak rating reflects this.

"The long-standing financial difficulties and history of poor budgetary control have also been widely reported and have resulted in us being marked as weak in this area."

Earlier this year, campaigners fighting to save services at Bridlington Hospital were left devastated after cardiac and acute medical services were transferred to Scarborough Hospital.

Mick Pilling, chairman of the Save Bridlington Hospital Action Group, said: "I am not surprised at all by these results.

"We have had numerous changes of staff, including chief executives and still there is no progress.

"It is high time someone stepped in and started dealing with these problems