But there was something else about the announcement which struck me – the timing.

These days you hear a lot of the phrase “a good day for burying bad news”.

Usually it means the Government has released information which puts it in a bad light, about an hour after a major event like a plane crash or some other tragedy, knowing full well their blunders won’t get the attention and criticism it would normally, because all eyes are on the other tragedy.

I wonder if something similar has gone on with the hospital announcement?

Maybe I’m wrong, maybe all the information had just become available last week and the health trust bosses wanted to make it public as soon as possible. Or did they think the week before Christmas was a good time to bury bad news?

People have their minds on Christmas and New Year, plenty of public holidays, people going away for a few days, no chance of organising a protest, offices shut so we don’t have to reply to the public’s letters so quickly, lots of other stories fighting for space in the news, it’ll slip by without too much criticism!

Perhaps I’m too cynical but to back my hunch up, look at the wording they use.

If I wanted to tell you “the cardiac unit is closing” or “all emergencies will be sent to Scarborough”, I could do it in five or six words. See, I’ve just done it.

This is how they convey the same message, never once actually saying the words I have used above.

“Scarborough & North East Yorkshire Healthcare Trust Board has agreed a recommendation that will ensure Bridlington & District Hospital has a secure and sustainable future delivering appropriate good quality care and treatment to local people.

“During the Public Consultation run by the Trust earlier this year the support and passion for Bridlington and District Hospital was extremely well voiced by local people, especially through the several public meetings that were held. The Trust has listened to public opinion and has worked over the summer and autumn months to look at ways to address the issues raised.

“Dr Ian Holland, Medical Director, said; “We have worked with the national Tsar for emergency care to seek guidance and advice on other models for acute coronary care that may be available. Whilst we have been unable to develop a sustainable model that will provide acute cardiac services on the Bridlington site; we have been able to develop a model that will retain in-patient medical beds at Bridlington within a clinical protocol.”

Clear as mud. “A secure future”? As long as you don’t have a heart attack.

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