THE future of a hospital where maternity and paediatric facilities face being downgraded may need “a unique solution”, the Health Secretary has been told.

In a letter to Jeremy Hunt, about the Friarage Hospital at Northallerton, Coun Jim Clark, who chairs North Yorkshire County Council’s health committee, said there was “a case for change”.

He said consultation by the Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby Clinical Commissioning Group was fair, open and rigorous but the committee was not convinced all efforts to find a solution had been exhausted. He asked Mr Hunt to authorise a re-examination of the plans for the hospital’s future.

His letter said the matter should be dealt with urgently as “the service is becoming fragile”.