The North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust has been called to a special meeting in Hartlepool on 5 February, to explain why the trust is ceasing to provide key fertility services in the town.
The meeting was organised following a “shock” announcement in January that, after March 2016, the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust will no longer provide licensed fertility treatment – including IVF – from its Holdforth Road site.
Senior Hartlepool councillors immediately ordered the trust’s senior management to explain the decision before a meeting of Hartlepool Council’s Audit & Governance Committee – the scrutiny arm of the Council.
Chair of the Council’s Audit & Governance Committee, Councillor Ray Martin-Wells, said:
“In October last year, the hospital Trust made us aware that they were having some staff recruitment difficulties – but at no time have they mentioned closing fertility services at Hartlepool.
“I have summoned the Trust – a statutory power the Audit and Governance Committee has as the scrutiny arm of the Council – to explain this shock decision; and unless they can come up with an acceptable rationale, I’ll be recommending as Chair that we refer the matter to the Secretary of State for Health.
“This news is particularly disappointing, as we’ve just been working with the hospital Trust to find a way to avert the imminent closure of specialist neo-natal services at North Tees.
“At the meeting, we’ll be asking the hospital Trust for a full explanation as to how they arrived at this decision.
“As a Council, we are working really hard to bring services back to the University Hospital of Hartlepool – and this decision goes completely against the wishes of local people.”
Leader of Hartlepool Council, Cllr Christopher Akers-Belcher, added:
“Hartlepool Council is vehemently opposed to the ceasing of any services from the University Hospital of Hartlepool – and we will be fighting this all of the way.
“The announcement has come completely out of the blue and we feel badly let down by the lack of consultation.”
The meeting between the Trust and council is scheduled to start at 2.30pm on 5 February.
Members of the public are welcome to attend, said the council.
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