Report recommends closure of Hornsea MIU

A report by health bosses is recommending there should be three urgent care centres at Beverley, Bridlington and Goole hospitals.

But it's also revealed they want to close Hornsea's minor injuries unit despite strong opposition from people who live locally.

The final decision on the future of urgent care services in the East Riding will be taken on Tuesday 21st March.

It follows a twelve week public consultation which finished in January.

The report recommends the option to:

Create Three Urgent Care Centres at East Riding Community Hospital in Beverley, at Bridlington Hospital and at Goole District Hospital.

Together with - providing urgent care appointments for low level minor injuries at 8-8 centres at Driffield and Withernsea to be booked into via NHS111/Single Point of Access and undertaking the actions set out in the CCG’s full responses by locality.

Alex Seale, Director for Commissioning and Transformation for NHS East Riding of Yorkshire CCG said:

“We want to provide consistent and high quality urgent care that best meets the need of the whole of the East Riding.

The urgent care centres at Beverley, Bridlington and Goole would offer consistent opening for 16 hours a day and 365 days a year.

There would be a consistent range of advice and treatment available, including x-ray, for all minor injuries with no variation between centres. People would know that when they arrive at an urgent care centre it would be open and they would be seen.

If this option is approved, the three urgent care centres would be supported by booked urgent care appointments for low level minor injuries made available at Alfred Bean Hospital in Driffield and at Withernsea Community Hospital."

Jane Hawkard, Chief Officer for NHS East Riding of Yorkshire CCG said,

“We have listened to what people have said during our consultation and take very seriously our responsibility to consider the issues raised by our population alongside local health need.

This is why we are considering a range of enhancements to our original proposals.

As part of recent changes to community health services, 8 to 8 centres are being introduced in Driffield, Withernsea and Hessle.

These centres will be open from 8am until 8pm, seven days a week and will focus on providing a range of planned and proactive community care services. People will still be able to access outpatient appointments and have wounds dressed in their local hospital, as they do now.

In addition, as a response to the consultation we are considering that the 8 to 8 centres in Withernsea and Driffield have some same day urgent appointments made available every day for people to book into if they have low level minor injury issues.

This would be available to access through NHS111.

In addition to the low numbers of people accessing our services in some areas, our data also tells us that many people simply received advice and guidance from their Minor Injury Unit."

But Graham Stuart MP and Sir Greg Knight MP have jointly condemned East Riding Clinical Commissioning Group for failing to listen to the voices of people in the East Riding.

The MPs said:

“Today’s announcement follows almost a year of intense debate about the future of urgent care in the East Riding - an issue that affects all our communities and which prompted a huge public response.

We are grateful to the thousands of constituents who signed petitions and attended rallies to make their views known.

“The decision to close these minor injury units flies in the face of what people Hornsea, Driffield and Withernsea have campaigned for. People want treatment for minor injuries to be available locally rather than making long round trips to seek help when they get a burn or a cut. "