A COUNCIL health watchdog has demanded urgent action from the NHS in its efforts to re-open a 14-bed ward at a community hospital.

The ward at the Lambert Memorial Hospital, Thirsk, was closed in September by South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust over a shortage of nursing staff.

Cllr Jim Clark, chairman of North Yorkshire County Council’s scrutiny of health committee, has written to the trust to express the committee’s “extreme disappointment” that no progress has been made to fill vacant posts since the closure.

The Lambert hospital ward provided general rehabilitation, diagnostics and assessment of patents’ present and future care needs as well as pain control and palliative care.

The trust closed the ward on the basis that a combination of long-term staff sickness, absence and vacancies had put considerable pressure on the ward and risked compromising patient safety.

In his letter, Cllr Clark states that unless urgent action is taken now to fill posts “there is little chance of the ward reopening following that review.”

A spokesman for South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “At our board meeting today directors re-affirmed their commitment to re-opening the ward and welcomed news that we have had in recent days some interest from qualified nurses wanting to work at the Lambert.

“Those candidates still need to go through the appointment process, including interviews, but once that is complete we should be in a better position to confirm a potential re-opening date for the ward.

“We’d like to thank the existing Lambert staff, who have supported the service over a number of years, and also encouraged friends and colleagues to apply for the vacant posts.”