Calls for government update on Scunthorpe General Hospital plans

CHANGES COULD LEAD TO SOME SERVICES BEING MOVED TO OTHER HOSPITALS

- By IVAN MORRIS POXTON

NORTH Lincolnshire Council's leader has called on the Government to update on the review of proposed changes at Scunthorpe General Hospital.

Council leader Cllr Rob Waltham (Conservative - Waltham Ward) has written to Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, calling for an urgent update on the review.

Conservative and Labour councillors unanimously passed a motion in December requesting the Health Secretary intervened over the planned hospital changes.

Sir Nic Dakin MP (Labour - Scunthorpe) also said in January he continued to be concerned about the proposals, and was working with Labour colleagues to achieve the best possible outcome.

The changes were put forward by the Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), and revised after a 14-week long consultation that resulted in thousands of responses.

Plans to shift overnight care of children needing a longer than 24 hours stay in hospital were dropped.

Instead, the Humber Acute Services review changes the ICB agreed in July 2024 to proceed with comprised:

■Scunthorpe's trauma unit to close, and it to merge into Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby.