Bridlington Health Forum calls for community action after hospital suffers Community Diagnostic Centre setback

Councillor Jayne Phoenix said people are extremely disappointed.

The Bridlington Health Forum (BHF), along with ward and town councillors, are imploring people to write to East Riding MP Sir Greg Knight, their ward councillors, The Integrated Care Board (ICB), and the new East Riding of Yorkshire Council Leader Anne Handley to register their concerns.

Scarborough, Beverley and Withernsea hospitals will all be receiving investment to improve diagnostic facilities.

A BHF spokesperson said: “The group, local councillors and residents are angry and extremely disappointed by the decision not to invest in Bridlington and provide a much-needed Community Diagnostic Centre.

"The announcement came as a shock to BHF and Councillor Jayne Phoenix who attended the meeting earlier this month.

"Instead, the hospital will have visiting mobile MRI and CT scanners at certain times.

“This shock decision was announced by Dr Simon Cox, the Integrated Care Partnership director, during the multi-agency meeting.

"We need you to voice your concerns about the lack of these facilities in Bridlington.

"Your help with this will be greatly appreciated as we need to try to apply pressure to have improved diagnostic facilities within the town, to make improvements to the speed of diagnostic tests, reduce travel for local residents and get the type of facilities that will help the recruitment of new GPs and health care staff which are so desperately needed.”

Councillor Phoenix added: “After attending the multi-agency meeting with members of the Bridlington Health Forum, I was extremely disappointed to find out that, after waiting for months to find out about whether our town would be given a Community Diagnostic Centre, we would only have mobile scanners periodically visiting Bridlington Hospital – and no investment into a diagnostic centre.

“This is yet another example of other towns receiving funding while Bridlington continues to be a coastal desert when it comes to investment in healthcare.

"We would like to know how this shocking decision was made – and why?”