Local Residents Urged to Attend Crucial Bridlington Health Meeting

The public is being strongly encouraged to attend an upcoming meeting of the Bridlington Health Forum this Thursday, focusing on the new ‘Bridlington Health Improvement Plan’.

The event is described as an important opportunity for local people to engage directly with health commissioners and providers regarding the future of healthcare provision in the area.

Dr. Anthony Clarke, Chair of the Bridlington Health Forum and a former GP in the town, emphasised the significance of the meeting, which will host representatives from the Integrated Care Board (ICB) and the York and Scarborough Hospitals Trust.

Dr. Clarke stated that the meeting represents:

"It's an important opportunity for the public to express their views about local health care provision to the ICB, the Integrated Care Board, and to the York and Scarborough Hospitals Trust and show that we are in agreement with their desire to to try and strengthen our local health services.

In particular, we're going to discuss the Bridlington Health Improvement Plan. It's been developed in conjunction with input from the Bridlington Health Forum.

We would like people to come along, hear the ICB and York Trust explain their part and what's proposed for the future."

The Bridlington Health Improvement Plan is now an official work stream of the Integrated Care Board and has been developed with input from the Health Forum. It contains seven work streams designed to improve local services.

According to Dr. Clarke, if these work streams are successfully pushed through, they should result in several key developments:

"There'll be continuing support for our primary care services. There will be increased hospital activity at Bridlington Hospital.

There will be continuing and an increased emphasis on health prevention and health screening.

And we're hoping also that there will be developments with mental health service provision."

The meeting aims to help maintain a focus on Bridlington and its hospital amid substantial changes and pressures across the wider NHS.

Dr. Clarke says Dentistry will be one of the topics being covered at Thursday's meeting.

Dentistry will definitely be covered. The integrated care board are responsible for dental services, as they are for medical services.

We're also going to update on the palliative care bed pilot, which is making a start at Bridlington Hospital, which is something the community are very much wanting.

This will enable Bridlington residents to, to die in Briton uh, rather than in Scarborough Hospital.

For the patients who are unable to be cared for at home because of complexities, we really would like to to have inpatient care restored in Bridlington hospital for that smaller group of patients.

The Forum is set to welcome key leaders to the meeting, including the Director of Public Health, the Place Director of the Integrated Care Board, and the Chair of York and Scarborough Hospitals trust.

Dr. Clarke expressed gratitude for the increased attention the area is receiving, citing the growing focus on coastal health:

"We're delighted to welcome them. They are our guests. We do have to hold them accountable for health care provision and they we hope will have the influence within their organizations to to bring about operational changes and improvements to services.

It takes time, but we're very grateful for the increased focus on Bridlington.

There's more research going on into innovations for coastal areas so that we can learn from what's happening elsewhere in the country and professor Sir Chris Witty who we all know from COVID times and who produced a report on the health of coastal communities he said there's no better place to start to improve the health of the country than within our coastal communities and he is keen to to get evidence of innovations that will help communities like us".

The Bridlington Health Forum is urging the public to attend to hear the healthcare commissioners and providers, along with elected representatives, be questioned publicly about the new plan. Residents are encouraged to bring their networks, families, and friends. They say the meeting serves as an important opportunity for the public to express their views about local healthcare provision.

The Bridlington Health Forum Meeting takes place at Bridlington Spa Theatre on Thursday October 23rd from 5pm to 7pm. There are more details at https://www.bridlingtonhealthforum.co.uk/post/plans-to-improve-bridlington-s-heath-and-care