MP fears for small hospitals (From York Press)

Anne McIntosh, MP for Thirsk and Malton, fears for small hospitals

8:21am Monday 29th November 2010 in News By Megi Rychlikova, megi.rychlikova@thepress.co.uk

SMALLER hospitals and surgeries across England and Wales could face a similar fate to that of Ryedale Ward at Malton Hospital, the town’s MP has warned.

Anne McIntosh, MP for Thirsk and Malton, fears financial pressures will lead to NHS trusts going ahead with service cuts without consultation.

Doctors, medical professionals and residents in Ryedale agree with the MP that the closure of Ryedale Ward in October was carried out without consultation and leaves elderly and vulnerable people with long journeys to get hospital treatment. They also fear for the future of Malton Hospital because the ward held half the hospital’s beds.

A Department of Health spokesman said all NHS service changes must have local support and health minister Anne Milton has denied there were plans to close Malton Hospital.

Writing in the political website politics.co.uk, Miss McIntosh said: “I see this ward closure as part of a wider pattern which is emerging where services at community hospitals and GP practices are being removed or scaled down without adequate consultation.

“My fear is that there is a financial motivation behind both the decisions being taken and the lack of consultation.

“If this trend of service cuts continues, then our community hospitals could be reduced to a size where it is no longer viable to keep them open. In a rural area such as North Yorkshire, where access to a facility or service is key, consequences such as these could be disastrous.”

A Department of Health spokesman said: “As set out in the recent White Paper, the Government is committed to devolving power to local communities where the people, patients, GPs and councils are best placed to determine improvements in their local NHS. Any changes to services must have support from GP commissioners, patients and the public, be based on sound clinical evidence and support patient choice.

“This will ensure that patients get the best care possible, delivered to the highest standards in the most effective, efficient and personalised way.”