FEARS have been raised about a “new clinical model” of urgent and emergency care being piloted at Northallerton’s Friarage Hospital.

The model, which is operating overnight, aims to integrate primary care, ambulance service and hospital based services to improve quality, resilience and sustainability.

A trial began in March, when health chiefs were forced to deny the A&E department at the hospital was closing, and is due to end next month.

A healthcare professional, who contacted The Northern Echo and wished to remain anonymous, said: “This is a closure of an A&E department by stealth.

“Patients normally seen in A&E are now referred to a medical registrar via a telephone call by ambulance staff.

“If not deemed suitable they have to travel to a different hospital.”

County Councillor John Blackie, leader of the independent group on North Yorkshire County Council, said: “It is an A&E in name only, ambulances drive straight past the Friarage to go to James Cook University Hospital or Darlington Memorial Hospital.

“The fear is that it is being run down to nothing more than a walk-in medical centre. For years we were told not to worry as people could always go to the A&E in Darlington, but the 24/7 service there is also under threat.”

The Sustainability and Transformation Plan envisages that by 2020 there will be just two specialist emergency hospitals in the region – Middlesbrough’s James Cook University Hospital and either Darlington or North Tees at Stockton.

Meanwhile, the Friarage would remain as one of four ‘local’ hospitals.

A spokeswoman said the safety, effectiveness and efficiency of the new clinical model would be evaluated.

She said: “The model is operating between 9pm and 8am seven days a week and patients are being assessed and treated by the urgent and emergency care integrated medical team dependent upon their clinical need.

“The medical team also includes a hospital medical registrar and senior ambulance service clinician supported by nursing teams and the Friarage continues to be supported by senior clinicians either on site or on call.”