21/04/2020
BRIDLINGTON HOSPITAL JOINS FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19
THREE WARDS TO REOPEN FOR REHAB PATIENTS
Wards at Bridlington Hospital are to reopen to help with the area’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
Over the last week, the hospital’s Johnson Ward has been used for patients with COVID-19 prior to their transfer to Scarborough.
It is now set to be used as a rehab ward again whilst Waters and Buckrose wards will be reopened for residential care to ease the strain on the NHS as patients leave hospital.
Local East Riding of Yorkshire Ward Councillor Tim Norman broke the news and said he is delighted to see the hospital wards being used to for their intended purpose - ‘serving and improving the health of the local community’.
Mr Norman, a local hotelier, also believes it is a step in the right direction for the hospital and offers the chance for future development once the pandemic is over.
“Bridlington Hospital, over many years has seen wards close and facilities move to other hospitals but in the current pandemic there are moves a foot to establish Bridlington Hospital, once again, as a place for good for Bridlington and District,” he said.
“Many people may have seen and heard about damaged and broken beds being removed from Buckrose Ward, where they had been stored.
“But this is due to the need for Buckrose Ward to be cleaned and placed on standby ready for use.
“Over the last week, Bridlington Hospital’s Johnson Ward was the scene of patients with COVID-19.
In order to ensure that these patients had the very best dedicated treatment they and the staff from Johnson Ward were transferred up to Scarborough.
“Johnson Ward has now been fogged and extremely deep cleaned ready for reopening tomorrow (Wednesday 22nd) as a rehab ward.
“The wonderful staff who work on Johnson have also returned having been well looked after in Scarborough where, I am told, they had plenty of PPE to keep themselves safe.
“We in Bridlington have so far been very fortunate not to have too many COVID-19 patients and we are privileged to have such dedicated, professional and well protected nurses to look after our every need should it arise.
“Work is now underway to reopen two wards in Bridlington Hospital, Waters and Buckrose, under the management of ERYC alongside the York Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in order to support local residents during these unprecedented times.
“These wards will be for residential care to enable patients to be discharged from hospital into a care setting where they will be looked after until they are well enough to return home.
“I am therefore pleased to see that the Buckrose Ward is being cleared of scrapped equipment in order to restore and recommission it to its intended purpose, serving and improving the health of the local community
“This is a positive step forward for Bridlington and District and we look forward to working with the Trust once the pandemic has slowed in order to examine what can be further developed for Bridlington Hospital.”
The Bridlington Health Forum added: “The removal of these irreparable beds is key to the much-needed reopening of two wasted and fine, modern, wards in our hospital for the benefit of residents in the local community.
“In these peculiar times we are finding more and better ways of working together, such as building relationships with the Trust and the Primary Care Network for the provision of additional PPE and establishing a better use for underutilised assets in the NHS.
“In these strange times we need to focus on the positives, work together as a team and ensure that everyone is safe and well treated within the Health Service we all know and love.”
