Residents vote overwhelmingly to retain Bridlington Hospital services in independent survey

The Bridlington Health Forum and a cross-party group of East Riding Councillors are delighted with the response with more than 1,400 people completing the questionnaire.

The survey was devised to help people get their views across and showcase what is important to them.

The councillors and forum believe that a study by East Riding CCG did not address their concerns so decided to create their own survey.

They said their survey shows that people in Bridlington have expressed a wish to retain all services at the hospital.

General surgery, urology, vascular and plastic has already gone from Bridlington to a new day case unit at Scarborough and will be joined by the rest of non-orthopaedic surgery, staff say.

There is also mounting concern that empty wards on the ground floor will be used by GP surgeries, preventing the return of palliative care and consultant-led clinics.

Questions in the survey included (yes or no required):

○ Do you support the changes?

○ Remove General Surgery from Bridlington?

○ Relegate empty wards to non-hospital use?

○ Which services are important to you?

○ Fully staffed local Outpatient Clinics?

○ Local pre and post surgery tests & care?

○ Local in-patient post-surgery recovery?

○ Local in-patient care for End-of-Life?

○ Enhanced local Urgent Treatment Centre?

One of the councillors, Mike Heslop-Mullens, said: “The response to the survey has been fantastic.

“The overwhelming response 96% was in support of the all the issues raised with none falling below 91%.

“Since the closing date we have received printed copies through the letterbox regularly and now have over 1,400 replies.”

Some of the concerns and comments of people included:

○ People in this town should not be shuffled around to gain access to decent healthcare

○ When I had my pre-op Covid test I had to go to Scarborough and my taxi cost £28 each way, then a further £56 when I went for the operation

○ With all the housing planned for Bridlington we need better health services

○ I was sent to A&E in Scarborough, they then sent me on to York, and I was placed in a temporary room for hours

○ Lovely hospital going to waste

○ I don’t drive and when my husband was in hospital I had to use a taxi

Mr Heslop-Mullens added: “Bridlington residents want to ensure that our hospital is retained, and not just a minor injuries unit with care facility for recovering patients and a couple of surgeries.

“I believe that the Trust needs to build the trust of the people of Bridlington.”

A joint statement from the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust and East Riding CCG recently said there were “no hidden plans” for Bridlington.

It said the proposals were not about recreating the past “but building on the present and exploiting new opportunities for the future”.

People can read more about the proposed plans by visiting healthybridlington.co.uk.