The Bridlington Health Forum has expressed deep disappointment and concern over the proposed closure of a care unit at Bridlington Hospital, warning it could increase pressures on Scarborough Hospital.
Proposals to close a social care facility at Bridlington Hospital have drawn heavy criticism from local health campaigners, who warn the move could negatively impact patient care across the Yorkshire Coast.
The York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board issued a joint statement confirming the proposed closure, which is scheduled for June 2026.
According to the health authorities, the unit was originally opened in 2021 during the Covid pandemic as a temporary measure. It was designed to create capacity for patients leaving Scarborough Hospital who were clinically ready for discharge but lacked a care package.
Discussions have already begun with the fifty colleagues currently working on the unit, who will all be offered alternative roles within the trust. However, the decision has sparked frustration over a lack of communication with local leaders and health groups.
Dr Anthony Clarke, chair of the Bridlington Health Forum, stated that his organisation was not informed in advance and was not party to the decision to close the ward, previously known as the Johnson Ward.
Dr Anthony Clarke said:
"We weren't party to the decision, we weren't expecting it, the trusts stated values are kindness, openness and excellence and so what's happened sadly demonstrates a lack of openness and I'm sure that the new CEO Claire Smith would not have really wanted it to have happened in this way and she has apologised to me.
But even so, it doesn't hide the fact that there's a great deal of disillusionment and disappointment over this decision.
People are angry, people are concerned, and feel particularly sad that it's being underused at the moment. I think the ball is in the trust's court as it were because they do need to demonstrate to the community that their intentions to make more use of peripheral hospitals is genuine."
A spokesperson for the NHS trust and the integrated care board said they want to ensure that all patients benefit from the shortest possible stay on a ward, getting home as soon as they are fit to leave hospital with the support they need. They explained that from June 2026, patients who would have been stepped down into the ward for a short stay will be supported to go to their intended care location sooner, which they claim will reduce the risk of infection or loss of mobility for older people.
Despite these assurances, the Bridlington Health Forum fears the closure will have a negative impact on the wider health network across the Yorkshire Coast, particularly at Scarborough Hospital.
Dr Anthony Clarke said:
"I'm concerned that it may lead to increased corridor care at Scarborough Hospital and more difficulty moving patients out of the hospital.
Currently the care unit does provide a step-down facility so that frail patients in particular can be moved to Bridlington as they recuperate and are rehabilitated.
The trust I suspect have made this decision for financial reasons. But the forum are particularly concerned because we don't know where we are with the proposed palliative care bed pilot which was promised over two years ago. People are just taken aback because they felt that the trust was beginning to look at Bridlington Hospital in a different way. They're now not certain."
Despite the backlash, the NHS trust insists that Bridlington Hospital remains an excellent facility. They highlighted its recent accreditation as an elective surgical hub and stated their intention to continue developing the site as a thriving hub for the community.
However, campaigners remain unconvinced and are calling for more transparency and long-term commitments for the site's future.
Dr Anthony Clarke said:
"What we do need is a definitive plan for the future of Bridlington Hospital, it's something we've been asking for for some time.
We're needing palliative care bed provision, we're needing more outpatient appointments at the hospital, we're needing more safe surgery there, more rehabilitation, we need more diagnostic tests because many are being moved away to the new community diagnostic centre in Scarborough. And so the list goes on.
There is a lot of potential for Bridlington Hospital and we had been told that the trust were beginning to think how they could increase the use of their peripheral hospitals but this is actually reversing that intention."
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