Urgent meeting to be held over hospital future

An "urgent" meeting is to be held over the future of Goole and District Hospital.

Several staff members told the BBC they had been called to a meeting on Friday and were told a number of wards would be closing in the new year.

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (NLaG) issued a statement saying no decision had been made and "disinformation" had caused "unnecessary anxiety for the local population and staff".

East Riding of Yorkshire Council leader Anne Handley said an "urgent meeting" would take place to "get to the bottom" of any plans or talks.

The BBC understands staff at the hospital were called to a meeting with NLaG chief executive Jonathan Lofthouse on Friday.

Some of those attending told BBC Look North the trust was planning to close at least four inpatient departments, but outpatient care and the urgent treatment centre would remain open.

One staff member described the proposal as "a complete bombshell" and "extremely frightening".

Another added: "I'm utterly gutted, sad and frustrated. The timing is so bad, coming on a Friday afternoon and a few weeks before Christmas as well.

"Our ward is like a family. We're all really upset," they added.

Sir David Davis, the Goole and Pocklington MP, said he was not aware of the trust's plans before members of the public contacted him.

He said: "I'm pretty cross, frankly, that this was advanced without consulting with me, with the council and so on.

"On the one hand it appears employees of the hospital have been told that they may be losing wards. On the other hand, the trust is saying they haven't decided."

Sir David said he would meet the trust next week to "try and get to the bottom of it".

Handley said an urgent meeting would be taking place between herself, Sir David, ERYC chief executive Alan Menzies and NHS officials "to get to the bottom of any plans/talks the NHS have been having".

Writing on the All About Goole Facebook page, she said: "I can also confirm that both NHS officials are under no illusion that Goole is not prepared to go away quietly.

"I have discussed the situation with our MP and he is absolutely with his residents on this, as am I."

Handley said "transparency and honesty" were needed over any proposals by NLaG.

A spokesperson for NLaG said: "No decisions have been taken on the future of the hospital.

"There is a lot of work we have do with our staff, patients and partners to understand what we might do.

"We will be meeting with them to discuss potential options and their ideas in the coming months."

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