Can we trust the Trust?
A week of rumours and anxiety at possible cuts to key services such as A&E and maternity
Rumours, lack of information, heated public meetings ... after a week of fear and anger at possible cuts at Scarborough Hospital, the health trust gives some reassurance. But is it enough ?
Scarborough people have expressed anger and frustration at the prospect of further cuts to services at Scarborough Hospital. Only a week ago, York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the Clinical Commissioning Groups for Scarborough and Ryedale and East Riding of Yorkshire announced they were undertaking a review of acute services at the town’s hospital.
This was designed to introduce changes to the current system on the basis of a “growing need for different types of health and care services” and the difficulty in recruiting enough specialist staff.
As part of the process, three public meetings in Scarborough and Bridlington were also publicised as stakeholders were invited to help the Trust and CCG shape the evaluation criteria to be used while considering future proposals.
However, days after the review was made public, rumours spreading on social media suggested that proposals had already been made.
Some local GPs revealed potential plans by the York NHS Trust to drastically reduce services at Scarborough.
These included reducing the A&E department into a Minor Injuries Unit, reducing or stopping emergency surgery and a number of elective surgeries, pushing outpatients appointments on to GPs, closing the paediatric ward and losing obstetric cover in favour of a midwifery-led unit.
As rumours grew stronger, so did the feelings of Scarborough residents and healthcare staff.
On Monday, it was standing room only at the two meetings at the Royal Hotel and it wasn’t long before questions were shouted from the floor.
Orthopaedic surgeon Mark Andrews, representing the Trust, dismissed claims at the first meeting suggesting the closure of Scarborough’s A&E, saying it would close “over his own body”. But no reassurance was given for other services on the basis that there are no proposals yet and that consultations are under way.
The trust also had to respond to claims that it was pursuing a “York agenda” putting the interests of the people in York before those of the people in Scarborough.
Speaking after the meeting, Gabrielle Askew, a registered nurse, said: “It was a bit woolly around the edges, there was nothing definite being put forward and it didn’t reassure me in any way, shape or form about the future services at Scarborough Hospital.
“I’m quite sceptical that services will be protected but we’ll have to see.”
Thesecondmeeting,which began at 6pm, was “overtaken by a public torrent, and after the first question it became an uprising,” said one audience member.
Along with Scarborough doctors and health staff present, the public made it clear that they thought the report undertaken for health chiefs by McKinsey consultants for £150,000 was already a done deal, that a casualty department might remain but not a full A&E, and that even more Scarborough Hospital services would be “centralised” in the interests of “sustainability” and for the benefit of York.
One medic said that clinicians and staff at Scarborough were under stress and were not supported by York; another speaker said lives were at risk from the Trust’s strategy. “You are protecting York and crucifying Scarborough,” said another after an hour of outrage.
To tremendous applause, a female doctor at Scarborough Hospital said “it’s like being back in Nepal” as she reeled off a list of significant medical services taken away from Scarborough.
There was outrage as it was revealed that McKinsey was paid £150,000 for its report on how Scarborough health services could be made more sustainable through centralisation.
“Stripping Scarborough by stealth,” said one member of the public.
Retired doctor John Patterson said: “York has sys- tematically asset-stripped Scarborough”, a statement greeted with tumultuous applause.
There was also concern at the lack of time and effort made to invite the public. “We are at the beginning of a process that is already decided,” said Dr Patterson.
Simon Cox, Chief Officer for Scarborough and Ryedale CCG, said: “The attendance was a bit greater than we thought. The original idea was that we would run a sort of smaller focus group with 20 or 30 people, we didn’t really appreciate there would be the interest that there was.
“What we want to reassure people on is the fact that we still see a vibrant future for Scarborough Hospital, we want to maintain A&E and the services behind that.”
When asked if the possibility of cuts to other departments could be ruled out, Mr Cox said: “It’s not really about cuts, it’s about how services are delivered. The clinical workforce across the NHS is changing. We will know towards the end of the review what the clinical options are.”