A REDUCTION in the hours of paediatric services offered by a North Yorkshire hospital is being resolved by recruiting more staff, a meeting heard.

Last October a short-stay assessment unit was opened at the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton, as a key part of reassuring the public over the controversial removal of consultant-led children’s and maternity services to Middlesbrough.

The unit was to open for a six month trial from 10am to 10pm, seven days a week, but three months into the trial, it has been cut by 20 hours a week, closing at 8pm on weekdays and 5pm at weekends.

At North Yorkshire County Council’s Health and Wellbeing Board today (Friday, February 13) County Councillor Jim Clark said he realised it was an issue connected with staff. But he said the opening hours of the assessment unit were part of the compromise reached made after a long-running battle to keep consultant-led services at the Friarage hospital.

Councillor John Blackie said it was an issue of keeping the public’s “trust and confidence” in the NHS: “We have to build and rebuild and reinforce that necessary trust and confidence.

“We must therefore, see the full six month trial of 10am to 10pm, seven days a week. That’s an essential requirement," he said.

Fran Toller, managing director of the trust’s women and children’s centre said they were "equally disappointed" at finding themselves having to review the hours of service offered at a paediatric level and said: “It does wholly relate to the recruitment of medical staff.”

She said they had staff who had been on sick leave and others who had been recruited elsewhere, but added they were in the process of hiring more medical professionals.

Professor Rob Wilson, medical director at South Tees Hospital NHS Trust said: “We do understand one has to earn trust from individuals, never mind from a whole community. At the same time in many of our services we’ve been very proactive about how we appoint colleagues.”