On the march to beat health cuts at Malton Hospital

The reduction in opening hours at the MIU, from 8am-9.30pm, seven days a week, to 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday, took effect from December 3, as support continues to grow for our Don’t Cut the Care campaign.

Thousands of readers have put their names to petitions, both through the Gazette & Herald and in shops and businesses across Ryedale.

A meeting was held on Friday between district councillor Lindsay Burr (Lib Dem), a Malton ward member and campaign organiser, and Dr Michael Lynch, senior partner at Derwent Practice, with Simon Cox, chief operating officer for NHS Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group, to discuss the MIU.

Coun Burr said: “At last a face-to-face meeting was agreed where Dr Lynch and I were allowed to put forward strong views felt by residents and nurses from all over the district. There was a fruitful exchange of views. However, views did not correlate. At the end of the meeting there was a reluctance to give any firm commitments as Simon Cox said he was waiting for the new budget to be revealed.”

Coun Burr said it was also pointed out that they were still unconvinced about the cost effectiveness of the MIU.

“Talks will now continue and a review will take place in January,” she said. “On a positive note, at least talks have now begun.”

Coun Burr said she hoped people would support the campaign by taking part in the march.

“Following the amazing response from local people who have filled in and signed the petitions in their thousands, we are now asking residents to join us on a protest march,” she said.

“This is not just about Malton and Norton but those living across the whole of Ryedale – Pickering, Helmsley, Kirkbymoorside and Thornton-le-Dale – who will all be directly affected if this temporary reduction in hours becomes permanent or, even worse, more cuts are made at our much-loved hospital.”

The march starts at 10am outside Malton Hospital and will make its way along Newbiggin, Wheelgate, Yorkersgate, Saville Street and into Market Place.

Simon Cox said the newly-formed Clinical Commissioning Group was committed to ensuring local residents have access to the best possible health services for their needs.

He said: “However, it is important that people appreciate the magnitude of the financial challenges currently being faced by the NHS across North Yorkshire and York and that difficult decisions will have to be made in order to create a more sustainable NHS in the future.

“As we will take over from the PCT in April next year, we need to try to do all we can to keep any deficit we will inherit to an absolute minimum and ultimately protect local health services for the future.

“I’d like to reassure people that we will do all we can to ensure they continue to have access to the most appropriate services for their needs.

“This may involve looking at innovative solutions on how care and treatment is provided, but whatever options are identified, we are committed to working with local patients and their clinicians to involve them in the process.

“While the reduced hours at the MIU are in place, we plan to review the impact, both in terms of cost-saving, quality and impact on patients, to inform the best use of the MIU in the future.

“We will endeavour to keep people updated on this review as it progresses.”

Thousands of readers have put their names to petitions, both through the Gazette & Herald and in shops and businesses across Ryedale.

Support has also been given by members of the racing community, care homes and local businesses.

If you oppose the cuts being made to the opening hours of Malton Hospital’s Minor Injury Unit, make sure your voice is heard by signing our petition.

You can sign online at gazetteherald.co.uk, or sign a petition form at shops and businesses across Ryedale.

For more details go online at gazetteherald.co.uk For information about Malton MIU, visit www.scarboroughryedaleccg.nhs.uk