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Have your say: Whitby hospital chiefs snub support group
A LIFELINE group for heart attack victims which has raised thousands of pounds to buy medical equipment for Whitby Hospital has been snubbed from holding their meetings there.
You can say what you think about this at the bottom of this story.
Whitby and District Cardiac Support Group – known as Heartbeat – was set up by hospital staff in 1992 with the aim of helping those suffering from heart problems and their families and has been meeting at the Day Hospital for the past 18 years.
The group, which is affiliated to the British Heart Foundation, has contributed more than 6,500 to the hospital buying scales, a trolley, heart monitors, an exercise machine for rehab, televisions for wards and relaxation chairs.
But at its AGM, the group's 24 members arrived at the Day Hospital to find the chairs had been removed, the furniture in the rooms was not set up for the meeting and the kitchen had been ripped-out.
A cleaner told them the Day Hospital had been moved to the ground floor and they were left with no alternative but to hold their meeting in a corridor as there were no other suitable rooms.
Chairman Mick Robinson, who is recovering from his second heart attack, said they have since been told they will have to pay for use of the rooms, forcing them to find premises elsewhere in the town.
He said: "I think the way we have been treated has been despicable.
"Nobody contacted us and gave us notice of the change of venue.
"We have also learnt the group would need to pay should a suitable room be located in the future.
"This statement is devoid of the understanding of how our charity has given generously to the hospital in the past."
Mr Robinson (60) of Larpool Lane said he wrote to Jayne Brown, chief executive of NHS North Yorkshire and York primary care trust which runs Whitby Hospital and the hospital's site co-ordinator at the end of May, but he has had no response.
"Sadly whoever made the decision to close and relocate the Day Hospital did so without any consultation with the users of the facility," he said.
"It has been a sad and disappointing end to 18 years of mutual support between the group and the hospital, and most of all, gives the indication that care for cardiac rehabilitation is no longer considered a priority on Whitby Hospital's agenda.
"It appears the people of Whitby and the surrounding district are being eliminated from using the hospital's facilities to which they are entitled and deserve."
A spokesman for NHS North Yorkshire and York told the Whitby Gazette it unreservedly apologises to the Cardiac Support Group for any inconvenience which was caused to them on the day of their AGM.
"The group's regular room was booked for them and available, and we are sorry that, due to a misunderstanding, the group were misdirected to the Day Hospital, which has been re-sited on a temporary basis," he said.
"It is most unfortunate that this resulted in the difficulties which Mr Robinson has highlighted.
"We admit we should have made sure that all the facilities they required were available but these are now in place.
"There has been no block on the Cardiac Support Group using the room and no charges have been implemented, although we have raised verbally the fact we will be making a nominal charge for room bookings to cover the costs of cleaning, lighting and heating."
Sue Brown, service manager, said Mr Robinson's letter, which was originally sent to the hospital's site co-ordinator, was passed to chief executive, Jayne Brown and she said a full response will be sent in the next few days.
She added: "We are really sorry about the problems which arose but can assure the group that these were due to misunderstanding and miscommunication and not to any lack of care or respect for the group or the excellent work which it carries out in the local Whitby community."
The experience of Whitby and District Cardiac Support Group echoes that of a story which hit the front page of the Whitby Gazette two years ago.
The Whitby Survivors' self-help group, which helps women victims of rape and childhood sexual abuse, was told it would have to pay 7 per hour for the hire of a room which is not used for medical purposes, during the evening.
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Weather for Whitby
Tuesday 22 May 2012
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