RICHMOND MP Rishi Sunak has expressed concern and disappointment at a decision to close a hospital children’s unit at weekends.
South Tees NHS Foundation Hospitals Trust announced last week that the short-stay paediatric assessment unit (SSPAU)at the Friarage Hospital, Northallerton, would be closed on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays from next month.
Mr Sunak said: “As a parent with two young children who has used the unit on a weekend, I am concerned about the potential impact of this decision.
“It is concerning because the unit was an important part of the measures put in place when paediatric servics were downgraded two years ago.”
The SSPAU opened in October 2014 following changes to children’s and maternity services at the Friarage Hospital and assesses, observes and treats children and young people referred by their GP or who have an open-access arrangement.
The unit is currently open 10am to 8pm Mondays to Fridays and 10am to 7pm on weekends and bank holidays. But from April 1, the new opening times will be 9am to 7pm on weekdays with the unit closed on Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays.
The hospitals trust has said that not enough children use the unit at weekends to justify the cost of the highly-skilled staff manning it.
Mr Sunak said he understood that the trust had to make the best use of its resources and deploy its consultant services in a cost-effective way but he wanted to know more about the numbers using the unit at weekends.
“I have written to the trust to get a better idea of exactly how many children have been using the service,” he said. “One of my daughters was ill and I found it very reassuring to use the unit and also that it was close at hand.”
Supporting the Friarage Hospital is one of the MP’s priorities, as it was for his predecessor as Richmond MP, William, now Lord, Hague