MP Welcomes Council’s Decision To Refer Urgent Care Plans to Health Secretary

Graham Stuart MP has welcomed news that the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee of East Riding of Yorkshire Council has voted unanimously to refer East Riding Clinical Commissioning Group’s Urgent Care Strategy to the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

The plans by the CCG include closing the Minor Injury Units at Driffield, Hornsea and Withernsea and stripping community beds from Withernsea and Bridlington.

Mr. Stuart, who has opposed the plans fiercely from the start, wrote to the Committee’s chair last month together with Sir Greg Knight MP, urging Committee members to exercise their right to make a formal referral to the Secretary of State.

The referral means that the Health Secretary will be able to put the matter before the Independent Reconfiguration Panel, which exists to provide expert scrutiny and recommendations regarding contentious NHS plans.

Mr. Stuart said,

“I very much welcome the decision by the Council’s Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee to refer these unacceptable plans to the Health Secretary for independent review. People in Hornsea, Withernsea, Driffield and Bridlington have registered their profound opposition to the loss of their Minor Injury Units and community beds respectively.”

“When the chips are down, the last thing they want to have to do is trek miles to seek treatment for a minor injury or to visit a loved one.”

“It’s because of this that Sir Greg Knight MP and I wrote to the Committee last month to urge them strongly to exercise their right to take the case to the Secretary of State. The fact that the Committee’s decision today was unanimous only highlights the depth of cross-party opposition across the East Riding to the CCG’s proposals.”

“The Independent Reconfiguration Panel exists precisely to look into controversial NHS reorganisations like this and it’s important that it will now be able to subject the proposals to detailed scrutiny and advise the Health Secretary.”

Councillor Barbara Hall, chair of the Health, Care and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said:

“the committee has unanimously decided to refer the East Riding of Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group’s decision following public consultation on urgent care services to the Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt MP.”

“While the committee acknowledges that there may be good intentions with what the CCG are proposing, there are serious concerns around such areas as what had been predetermined prior to the consultation, modelling assumptions and financial planning, the topography of the East Riding and accessibility to services, level of engagement with Yorkshire Ambulance Service and private sector residential care providers, and the weight given to parts of the consultation feedback.”

“It was the view of the committee that these proposals approved last month by East Riding CCG pose a risk to health care provision in the East Riding as a whole and we have been left with no alternative but to make this referral.”

“While this decision has not been taken lightly, this has been taken in the best interests of our residents across the entirety of the East Riding.”