MP delighted at more hospital beds decision

Published on 31st May 2007 in News

More beds for Goole gets the thumbs up from MP Ian Cawsey.

Goole will benefit from extra community hospital beds, it was decided at a health care trust meeting last week.

The East Riding of Yorkshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) held a public meeting last Wednesday to discuss the responses to an £8 million investment plan.

Several options had been drawn up, most of which meant more beds for Goole Hospital.

The option to centralise some services in Bridlington was rejected, along with plans to base them solely at Goole or split them between Goole and Bridlington.

Instead, it was decided that the PCT would look at basing some community services at Bridlington, Goole and Beverley.

Goole MP Ian Cawsey described the result as a victory and said he was delighted to be able to announce a successful end to his campaign to bring new community beds to Goole Hospital.

He said: "This is a fantastic result for our local hospital and I am pleased that the PCT has seen that we have a lot to offer in Goole: I know they will not regret this decision.

"I rang the chief executive personally to thank her for this decision and to say local people will welcome new services at our hospital.

"The community beds will offer care services for people normally cared for at home but needing additional care short of admission to an acute hospital ward.

"Or, it will be somewhere where people who have been in an acute ward can be cared for until they are well enough to return home.

"It is a much-needed 'missing link' in local care and it will be well delivered at Goole Hospital."

Mr Cawsey said he was sorry that the matter had turned into a battle between MPs but stressed his priority had to be what was good for Goole.

He added: "With the announcement of a Brain Rehabilitation Service for the hospital and plans for a teaching ward, we are seeing Goole Hospital getting the recognition it deserves.

"It is worth remembering that in 1997 we all marched through Goole to ensure this hospital was not closed.

"Now we are talking about these new exciting developments."

The PCT board says it will now look more closely at establishing neighbourhood health teams made up of community matrons, nurses, therapists and rehabilitation staff.

Claire Wood, interim chief executive at the PCT, said: "I would like to thank everyone who made their views known through the consultation process.

"Many consultation responses supported consideration of options that included a greater proportion of NHS provided community beds on more of the existing sites within the East Riding of Yorkshire area."

A capital business case to develop and modernise NHS equipment is expected to be submitted to the the Department of Health by June 30.