Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the extent to which decisions on community hospital facilities take account of rural need, public transport accessibility and population growth in East Cleveland, including for residents in Loftus, Brotton, Skelton and Guisborough who may face long journeys to access urgent care and basic hospital services.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the planning and commissioning of National Health Service healthcare services. In doing so ICBs must take into account the needs of their local population, which includes meeting the healthcare needs of their rural populations and population demographics.

University Hospitals Tees provides a number of services at East Cleveland Primary Care Hospital in Brotton, including in the Tocketts Ward and a wide range of outpatient clinics.

In line with the 10-Year Health Plan for England, University Hospitals Tees, comprising of the South Tees Hospitals and North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trusts, continues to explore the best possible ways in which to continue the transformation of services and optimise patient experience. This includes looking at how services are best delivered across the area and this may involve exploring different models of care, including the Neighbourhood Health Framework.