Save Whitby Hospital

The future of our local Hospital in Whitby, North Yorkshire is in doubt.

Whitby Hospital is roughly 20 miles from Scarborough Hospital and thirty miles from James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough (the opposite direction), and serves up to ten miles radius inland, including several isolated communities.

During winter, road travel in and out of the immediate area is often difficult and hazardous, occasionally impossible. In times of general cut-backs, rumours persist of plans for total closure, partial closure, reduction of pretty meagre facilities, a new build - but no suggestion of where.

Our local GPs have written to the Health Secretary, expressing disgust and concern about various muted proposals which seems to have been side-stepped, our local newspaper has had a senior reporter trying to contact him for an answer, who has been pointed here and there and it seems to be a case of passing the buck.

During the summer the town is busy, full of holiday-makers. week-enders and day-trippers. Visitors often outnumber the local residents, sampling the best fish and chips selection in the country and enjoying the various themed periods such as Whitby Regatta, 60s Weekend and Goth Weekend. That already puts a strain upon medical services within the town, and to close down further facilities would strain remaining resources all the more.

Local residents just want to maintain as good a service as possible for our visitors as well as ourselves so we can enjoy as good a medical provision as our visitors do when they go back to York, Hull, Leeds, London and Manchester etc.

We want to know what the plans are so we can rebut them if we need to.