THE campaigners behind the fight to retain the Selby War Memorial Hospital title have joined the battle to help another hospital.

Earlier this year, the Friends of Selby War Memorial Hospital led a public campaign with Ye Fraternitie of Olde Selebians against an NHS decision to rename the new facility the Selby Community Hospital.

Hundreds of people signed a petition, and the campaign resulted in a public vote which overwhelmingly chose to keep the War Memorial name.

After hearing about the victory, The League of Friends of the Hornsea War Memorial Cottage Hospital contacted their Selby counterparts for assistance.

In a letter to the Selby group, June Barton said in-patient beds were due to close at the Hornsea hospital, effectively reducing it from a hospital to a health centre.

She said: “Our hospital is also a war memorial and although we have constantly reminded our PCT of that fact, it seems to have had no impact on them.

“We would be grateful if you could enlighten us as to how a change of heart came about by your PCT.”

A spokeswoman for NHS East Riding of Yorkshire said they did not plan to change the name of the hospital, only to move in-patient beds to the new Beverley facility.

Margaret Hewar, from the Friends of Selby War Memorial Hospital, said: “We weren’t expecting to hear anything like this.

“We’re just going to give them some advice. We had the Selebians and I would tell them to get in touch with all the local groups from the community like we did.

“It was the people of Selby, the doctors and everyone who helped the campaign.”

Mrs Barton also said local GPs had not previously backed their campaigns to retain services at the current site, but Margaret said that may not be a problem.

She said: “It was the people of Selby and community groups who helped the campaign and I don’t think there’s anything to say it can’t happen again.”