There has been anger at the decision with councillors saying it showed a ‘complete disregard for local people’
16:19, 20 Aug 2026Updated 16:20, 20 Aug 2026
Bridlington and District Hospital(Image: Google Maps)
The care unit at Bridlington Hospital is set to close following a decision at a York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust meeting this week. The Board of Directors at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has supported the recommendation to permanently close Bridlington Care Unit and move to a community-based model of care for patients who no longer need acute hospital treatment.
The decision comes after a review of the closure proposals following recommendations made by the East Riding Health, Care and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee.
Bridlington Care Unit was established during the COVID-19 pandemic as a step-down facility to provide additional capacity for people who were medically ready to be discharged from hospital but were delayed in accessing the rehabilitation or social care support they needed to return home.
As previously reported, there had been concerted efforts by health campaigners, local councillors, Bridlington Health Forum, and the local MP to keep the care unit open. However, health chiefs feel now is the right time close it.
Clare Smith, Chief Executive of York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This decision was not taken lightly, and we recognise the strength of feeling in Bridlington, not just about the care unit but about the hospital’s future more broadly. The board has supported the recommendation because patients who no longer need acute hospital treatment should, wherever it is safe and clinically appropriate, be supported to return home as soon as possible and with the right package of care around them.
“Most patients are already discharged from our hospitals with the appropriate support in place, and we will continue to work closely with community and social care providers to ensure that those who may have been admitted to the Bridlington Care Unit while waiting for these arrangements to be made can be safely discharged with the support they need.”
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 .
An engagement programme was undertaken during the review period, which found strong support for local healthcare services in Bridlington and a clear desire to see Bridlington Hospital better used and developed in the future. The majority of people who responded to the survey were opposed to the closure of the unit and expressed concern about the provision of alternative services.
Ms Smith explained the decision did not shape the future of the wider hospital site and reassured residents that her team was working on a stronger and more viable plan for health services in Bridlington. She said: “We want to be clear that Bridlington Hospital remains an important part of local healthcare provision and we have been actively working to increase the services that are available there, particularly in planned surgery and outpatients.
“This decision is specific only to the Bridlington Care Unit and does not impact the future of the wider hospital site. We have heard clearly that people want a stronger, more visible plan for services in Bridlington, and that work will continue with the community and our partners. Feedback from the engagement programme about diagnostics, outpatients, planned care and other local services will continue to inform the Trust’s Clinical Strategy and service planning.”
The future strategy for Bridlington and communities around the east coast town will be shaped by ongoing conversations with local people, Ms Smith said. “In our conversations with residents, we have heard that people want greater transparency and an ongoing conversation about the future of healthcare in Bridlington, and we recognise we need to do more to build trust. We accept that challenge and will continue to work with local residents, staff, partners and elected representatives as we implement this change and as we develop our wider clinical strategy.”
Local people ‘disregarded’
But this approach is not good enough, and the health trust is simply disregarding the needs of local people, according to Bridlington Central and Old Town Ward Councillor Maria Bowtell. She claimed the consultation exercise was a huge waste of money and made clear that spending money on local health services would be better value for taxpayers.
“York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has stripped Bridlington of Services for years, showing complete disregard for local people while hiding behind claims of ‘quality’ and ‘value for money’. These consultations have been a costly sham,” Cllr Bowtell said.
“Instead of wasting money on costly consultations, the trust should restore more essential care to Bridlington rather than forcing residents to travel, abandon treatment and suffer the consequences,” she added.
Cllr Denise Howard, East Wolds and Coastal, explained she was angry about the decision. She said: “So, we had a consultation to find out what local people think about closure and the public said they didn’t want the unit to close. But they are going to close it anyway. So, what was the point? A lot of people made the effort to go along to the Spa in Bridlington to give their opinions and there was also a questionnaire for people who couldn’t make it.
“I just hope the measures they are promising instead are in place, and crucially, that East Riding Council is able to cope with the arrangement of care packages in a timely manner – given their poor record in the past.”
Cllr Howard added: “It is about time the health authorities showed some real commitment to the people of Bridlington and the surrounding areas. Bridlington Hospital is massively under-utilised. We deserve much better.”
Reacting to the decision, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is a cruel decision that will leave vulnerable patients at risk of substandard care or stranded miles from home. It will result in the worst possible outcome for patients and staff and is nothing more than shameless cost cutting at the expense of Bridlington’s residents. Unite remains firm in demanding the trust abandons these plans.”
The Trust will publish further information on the implementation timetable, transition arrangements and ongoing engagement opportunities once these have been confirmed.
To find planning applications, traffic diversions, road layout changes, alcohol licence applications and more, visit the Public Notices Portal .