WILLIAM Hague has spoken of his disappointment over the Health Secretary’s decision not to order an independent review into proposed changes to key services at a general hospital.

The Richmond MP said he would continue his campaign for a unique solution to be found to maintain high quality maternity and children’s services at the Friarage Hospital, in Northallerton.

The Foreign Secretary said his cabinet colleague Jeremy Hunt’s decision to give Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby clinical commissioning group (CCG) the go-ahead to launch a public consultation left questions surrounding the plan unclear.

Mr Hunt said the CCG should follow the advice of the Independent Review Panel (IRP).

The IRP advised a public consultation on proposals involving changing the maternity services from consultant-led to midwife-led could be launched, providing an explanation was provided of why the existing service was not viable.

He said: “There remains a clear gulf between the CCG’s preferred clinical model and the public’s desire to maintain the current level of provision.

“An independent and rigorous analysis by the IRP would have helped bring clarity to this issue.”

“I encourage all parties to engage constructively with the consultation once it begins and to continue to look for new options that would ensure the people of Hambleton and Richmondshire retain access to a broad range of maternity and paediatric services at the Friarage Hospital.”

North Yorkshire County Council’s health watchdog said it would continue to press for consultant-led maternity services at the Friarage hospital.

Councillor Jim Clark, chairman of the Scrutiny of Health Committee, said the IRP’s suggestion that new options could be added to the public consultation meant this was “not the end of the road” for a top-quality maternity service at the hospital.