Scunthorpe‘s MP is setting up a meeting with a Health Minister and local health officials over the proposed shifting of some services from Scunthorpe General Hospital to Grimsby.
A public consultation finished in January on the pooling of possible service elements between Scunthorpe General Hospital and Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby. The proposal is to shift elements like emergency overnight surgeries, and children and young people who need a more than 24 hours hospital stay, to be at Grimsby only, not both sites as it is currently.
A Labour councillor has criticised Conservative MP Holly Mumby-Croft for a “lack of support” for constituents opposed to the proposed changes. Ms Mumby-Croft has hit back, citing the meeting she has secured, and accusing Labour councillors of point scoring.
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North Lincolnshire Council opposition Labour group leader Cllr Len Foster questioned the MP’s visibility. “And where is our MP on this crucial issue? Her lack of support for the health and wellbeing of her constituents is disappointing.”
Ms Mumby-Croft robustly defended her action on the proposed hospital changes. This included raising the issue in Parliament on January 8. After this, she secured commitment from Health Minister Andrew Stephenson to meet with local health officials. The meeting is being organised.
“Scunthorpe residents deserve the best healthcare that can be provided and I’ve made it clear since the start of the hospital consultation that I’ll be backing my constituents. Any change in services must have the support of local people, and it’s clear from my campaigning that the proposals fail this test.
“I do not support them. Forcing people to trek to Grimsby – with the added costs and time – would be a step backwards. I’ve made it crystal clear to hospital bosses that they must take these views into account.”
The Scunthorpe MP held her own website survey, separate to the local NHS’s consultation. It gathered 430 individual responses, most opposed to the changes, and was submitted as part of the consultation.
(Image: Copyright Unknown)
Ms Mumby-Croft wrote to thousands of households about the issue, successfully pushed for more in-person events after bad weather, and asked for the consultation to be extended, too. She said she would back North Lincolnshire Council if it pursued a judicial review of the final decision on the changes, which councillors unanimously agreed to reserve the right to do.
“I’ve always said that I’ll happily work with anyone, regardless of party, to fight these changes. The resolution, which Labour backed, said they’d also work with local MPs.
“Given they’ve now rowed back on this to score political points – no doubt because an election is coming – is disappointing.” She was surprised to hear Labour were not aware of her campaigning on it. “Either they’re ignoring facts that are inconvenient to them or they don’t know what’s been going on in their own wards,” she said.
“Since my election I’ve worked consistently to improve the health services in our local area.” She pointed to the new A&E and future community diagnostic centre as signs of good progress. “Residents can be assured that I won’t stop fighting their corner. Our next step is to wait for the consultation response.”
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The row comes as the Labour group queried whether services are already shifting. One of their members Cllr Judith Matthews, had a routine cardiology appointment moved there in March. This was for ECG and blood tests, which she has always had at Scunthorpe General Hospital.
“I asked a nurse about my cardiology appointments being changed to Grimsby,” said Cllr Matthews. “The nurse told me that cardiology appointments and staff have already been transferred to Grimsby Hospital – steps have already been made.”
A Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (NLAG) spokesperson has, however, said there are no changes to move cardiology services. “There have been no changes in our cardiology service to move all outpatient appointments from Scunthorpe to Grimsby. In some cases we do offer a small numbers of Scunthorpe patients appointment slots at Grimsby hospital and Grimsby patients slots at Scunthorpe hospital.
“We have made it abundantly clear that moving large swathes of services to Grimsby will have a detrimental impact on the people of North Lincolnshire,” said Cllr Foster, citing especially transport difficulties between Grimsby and Scunthorpe. Less than 14 people a day would be affected by the proposed changes. NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) have proposed them as a result of staffing levels, and as at present specialist staff are stretched too thinly across sites.
Original artice: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/all-about/scunthorpe
