Hospital bosses have handed over their proposed plans for the future of the Friarage Hospital to local NHS chiefs.
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Northallerton hospital, has drawn up a draft business case, including preferred clinical model, for the hospital.
This has now been passed to NHS Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which will draw up its own business case for the hospital, which will include proposals for how the hospital will operate in the future.
Once completed, these proposals will be discussed with NHS England and with the county council’s scrutiny of health committee before going out to public consultation.
Officials say that until then the proposals cannot be shared with the public.
The hospital trust said in a statement issued this week: “We have been looking at alternative future scenarios for delivering sustainable services at the Friarage, taking into account the requirements of the community and feedback from our engagement programme, whilst addressing our workforce issues.
“These challenges are ongoing, particularly in the provision of overnight anaesthetic cover,
critical care and accident and emergency.”
The trust added: “Whilst this process is underway, we remain fully committed to maintaining services at the Friarage as they are now, including a 24/7 accident and emergency department and critical care unit and we will be managing the workforce issues to ensure that our patients are safe and we continue to maintain our quality of care.
“We are also investing and developing in services at the Friarage, including a new “black out” clinic provided by specialists in cardiology and neurology, and a new service providing implantable heart monitors.
“Work continues on the Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre, which will provide a wide range of services for patients with cancer.”
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