'Shameless costcutting' blamed for decision to close Bridlington Care Unit

Campaigners who tried to save a care unit for elderly patients at Bridlington Hospital from closure have expressed outrage after an NHS trust pressed on, despite huge opposition.

The Board of Directors at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust backed the plans to shut Bridlington Care Unit on Wednesday saying they would move to a “community-based model of care”. The decision had been paused in June after nearly 6,000 people signed a petition raised by Charlie Dewhirst MP.

Vice chair of the East Riding’s Health Scrutiny Sub-Committee Andy Walker said he was “very, very disappointed” and is not convinced the system can cope.

It comes at a time when East Riding Council is working to improve adult social care after it was rated one of the worst in the country last year.

Councillor Walker said: “The evidence they brought to the (board) meeting was really poor quality, with very few real figures, and lots of aspirations.

"If you don’t have a good pathway into social care in the community, you’ll have all of these patients blocking beds in acute hospitals in York and Scarborough. They are really shooting themselves in the foot.”

The Integrated Care Board appeared to have triggered the decision when they removed their £1m share of funding in April.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham described the decision as “shameless costcutting”, adding: “This is a cruel decision that will leave vulnerable patients at risk of substandard care or stranded miles from home”.

The York trust said the unit was set up as a temporary “step-down” facility during the pandemic.

They acknowledged that 91 per cent of people surveyed during consultation opposed its closure.

Chief executive Clare Smith said they recognised the strength of feeling against the unit closing and concerns over the wider hospital, adding: “We need to do more to build trust.”

She said the board backed the plans “because patients who no longer need acute hospital treatment should, wherever it is safe and clinically appropriate, be supported to return home as soon as possible and with the right package of care around them".

Around 10 to a dozen patients are thought to be at the unit.

Ms Smith said they would work with community and social care providers to ensure they were “safely discharged with the support they need”.