Health chiefs hail £13m hospital redevelopment as work nears close

HEALTH chiefs have heralded the redevelopment of Whitby Hospital as giving the town’s residents “the facilities they deserve”.

The £13.1m project was started in May 2020 and is due to finish in July.

The hospital’s tower block has been stripped out and reconstructed while face-to-face services have moved to the lower part of the hospital’s site. The new hospital areas will house dental and podiatry services, inpatient facilities, including those for mental health, an audiology suite and a cafe on the ground floor – services which were chosen after a public consultation with Whitby residents.

The current hospital on Springhill was opened in 1979 by the late Princess Margaret, replacing an earlier building dating to 1925 and built in memory of the town’s soldiers who died in the First World War.

The site is now operated by Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust.

There is one inpatient ward at the hospital, which treats patients who need rehabilitation and those requiring end-of-life care.

The NHS released footage of the building project yesterday, in which those overseeing the scheme committed to finishing the redevelopment of the hospital on budget and on time, and leaders praised the work.

Amanda Bloor, NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning

Group accountable officer, said: “The CCG is delighted to see the progress so far and I want to thank our NHS partners and the Whitby community for their energy and ongoing commitment.

“As the commissioners of health services, we began looking at how Whitby Hospital could be improved in 2014 and with strong public support for remodelling the hospital, we set about securing the necessary funds.

“We understand the very important role the hospital plays in health and care in Whitby and, while its purpose might have evolved since the days of the War Memorial hospital in 1925, it remains as relevant today as it was almost 100 years ago.”

Michele Moran, chief executive at Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The Whitby Hospital and Gardens renovation is vital as it will give the local community the hospital facilities they deserve.

“This modernisation and development will establish a fit for purpose health hub in the heart of Whitby for years to come.”