A HEALTH trust has been challenged to give assurances that Whitby Hospital's future is secure.

The call has come from Scarborough Borough Council after it was told by Councillor Dorothy Clegg, a long serving Whitby member and former Mayor, that there was extreme concern about the hospital.

Her worries have been backed by the Whitby Group practice, whose doctors work at the hospital. They said in a statement: "We in Whitby have witnessed our local hospital stripped of its staff in an attempt to bail out and support Scarborough General's manning crisis problems and possibly to save money."

The statement, which is backed by doctors with surgeries at Sandsend, Churchfield, Staithes, Egton and Danby, adds: "There is good reason to believe that the eventual aim of the Scarborough, Ryedale and Malton Primary Care Trust is the closure and demolition of Whitby Hospital."

The fears of Whitby people were increased when it was discovered that a report on the hospital's future - not due to be published until after the General Election - was leaked.

However the PCT, which covers a large part of the North York Moors and coastal area, has said in a statement that the hospital has a "vibrant" future. However, it added that it wanted to see more patients cared for in their own homes.

PCT chief executive Michael Whitworth has met Alison Guy, the chief executive of the Scarborough and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust, and they said there were no plans to change consultant care at the hospital.

Mrs Guy also said that there are to be no changes to maternity and outpatient services or to reduce the number of beds.