Kevin Hollinrake MP is pleased that Hambleton District Council is backing a campaign to “safeguard the future” of the Lambert Memorial Hospital in Thirsk. The MP for Thirsk and Malton joins with councillors in urging people to take part in a consultation about the future of healthcare provision in the area.
A ward at the town’s hospital was temporarily closed by South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust last year because of a staffing shortage. A group of concerned residents and Friends of the Lambert have been campaigning ever since to get reassurances that the facility will be reopened. They argue that the care that was given there is of great importance to the community and that these services need to be made available again as soon as possible.
However the future of the hospital is still uncertain. NHS Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and South Tees Hospital Trust are running a consultation about how they might provide care in a different way in the future. The fear for local people is that this might lead to a permanent closure of The Lambert.
Hambleton District Council is advising people to take the opportunity to have their say by participating in the consultation. Mr. Hollinrake says that the importance of the Lambert to people living in the town and the surrounding villages must not be underestimated,
“The strength of feeling about the closure of this ward has been made clear by the numbers of people who have attended meetings and written letters about their concerns. I have supported the calls for clear answers about the Lambert’s future and understand that for so many people this has been a valuable asset and played an important part in their and their families’ wellbeing for generations. We must do everything we can to ensure that the health of this generation and the next generation is not compromised by the continued closure of the ward and uncertainty about the Lambert. Along with the District Council I recommend people get involved in the consultation process.”