Health minister pledges to visit Hartlepool's hospital after Covid-19 pandemic passes

Edward Argar said he looked forward to taking up the offer from Hartlepool MP Mike Hill in a letter following their meeting over the future of the hospital in March.

Mr Argar recognised the importance of the hospital and its services to Hartlepool and said its Urgent Care Centre which opened in 2017 is one of the best in the region.

The minister also recognised the challenges any further removal of services from Hartlepool to the University of North Tees in Stockton would cause for residents, but said local health bosses regard Hartlepool hospital as an ‘anchor institution’.

In the letter to Mr Hill, Mr Argar said: “The North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust and Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees Clinical Commissioning Group made it clear to my officials in advance of our meeting that they continue to regard Hartlepool as an anchor institution.”

Responding to Mr Hill’s concerns around the recent reduction in town hospital births, Mr Argar said it was a complex issue but added the Midwife Led Unit intends to reintroduce bookings for low-risk women.

Mr Argar concluded by saying he looked forward to organising a visit to the hospital ‘in more normal times’.

Mr Hill said: “As the local MP my job is to fight to protect the future of our hospital so I make no apologies for chipping away at ministers and the powers that be even in times of crisis.

“This response by the minister goes some way to vindicate those efforts, but more importantly for me reaffirms the position that our hospital remains a vital facility, that it is not surplus to requirement or non operational as some would have it, and with the continued support of the community it really does have a vital function to play in the future integration of health and social care.

“I have put a line in the sand, as I did with maternity services and my call for the right to be born and registered as such in Hartlepool, and believe this letter shows we are getting that message through.”

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