AN ACTION group has told a public meeting it does not believe hospital bosses have done enough to secure the future of Northallerton’s Friarage Hospital.

The Save Friarage Hospital campaign group held a meeting in Northallerton Town Hall this evening, gave a presentation on its aims and invited audience questions and comments.

The meeting comes after the group confirmed it had instructed specialist lawyers to launch a judicial review into the decision made by South Tees Hospital Trust to temporarily downgrade the hospital’s A&E services to an urgent care centre.

Judith Bromfield from Healthwatch North Yorkshire introduced the presentation given by members of the Save Friarage Hospital team, headed by Holly Wilkinson.

Ms Wilkinson said: “Some of the decision being made at the Friarage are disgraceful and something needs to be done. Patients will be transferred to James Cook Hospital and then transported back again when they are stable.

“We believe this is unrealistic and unfair, which is why we are launching the review.”

The presentation stated that since the Friarage merged with South Tees Hospitals Trust in 2002 the service provision has been “decimated.”

It said: “Most services are now at James Cook Hospital. South Tees Trust claim they have been unable to recruit enough doctors and anaesthetists but our MP Rishi Sunak confirmed to us that he spoke to a specialist firm which recruits from overseas ¬– but South Tees said they didn’t think that would work.”

“You should not have to travel further than you already do for hospital care.”

They said the proposed two additional ambulances would not be enough.

The presentation added: “South Tees Hospital trust said they have done everything they can but we don’t believe this. We feel there are other motives and stealth tactics are being used to create this crisis – and we think there are more cuts to come.”

The group appealed for the public to support the campaign, which includes a protest march later this month, and a crowdfunding appeal to pay for legal costs, which has already raised £1,000.

They said: “This is not an attack on the NHS or staff at the Friarage. We are just a group of people exercising our right to make sure that the trust has done everything it said it has done.

“we are asking them to look again.”

Legal firm Irwin Mitchell has requested all relevant documents from the trust by April 8, and from those the legal team will decide whether or not there is a case to answer.

To support the crowd funding visit visit https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/savethefriarage.