The NHS have said the ward was only ever a temporary measure which opened during the Covid pandemic
Bridlington and District Hospital(Image: Google Maps)
Unite the Union has condemned plans to close the Bridlington Community Unit. The ward at the Bridlington and District Hospital, which provides care for the elderly, is set to close.
Unite claims the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, has written to more than 50 impacted staff announcing consultations on the proposed closure. The union says the closure, which they have branded a “cost cutting measure,” will lead to “elderly patients being transferred to Scarborough, with nurses and healthcare assistants facing redundancy or transfer to York or Scarborough.”
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “These disastrous plans would result in the worst possible outcome for patients and staff. The short-term savings would not outweigh the long-term costs and are further evidence of York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals treating Bridlington’s health services as a poor relation. Unite stands firm in demanding the trust rows back.”
A joint statement from the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board clarified that the unit was opened during the Covid pandemic as a temporary measure. It was set up, the statement says, “as a temporary means of creating capacity primarily for patients leaving Scarborough Hospital who were clinically ready for discharge but didn’t have a care package.”
Did you know you can make Hull Live a preferred source of Hull news in Google, which will mean you get more of our breaking news, exclusives, and must-read stories straight away? Here’s more information about what this means and how to do it – you can also do it straight away by clicking here.
The statement adds: “We want to ensure that all patients benefit from the shortest possible stay on a ward, getting home as soon as they are fit to leave hospital with the support they need. From June 2026, patients who would have been stepped down into the ward for a short stay will be supported to go to their intended care location (home or care home) sooner rather than having an extended stay in hospital.
“Shorter lengths of stay reduce the risk of infection or loss of mobility, for older people in particular. Similar temporary arrangements in place in York Hospital were stood down in 2024.”
The statement also addressed staff who work on the ward. It explained that “discussions have begun” and confirmed that “all colleagues will be offered alternative units and departments within the trust for them to move to.
It adds: “Our intention is to continue to develop Bridlington to be a thriving hub for the community, working in partnership with our wider health and care partner organisations.”
To find all the planning applications, traffic diversions, road layout changes, alcohol licence applications and more, visit the Public Notices Portal .