FOREIGN Secretary William Hague has chaired a North Yorkshire meeting to discuss the future of healthcare in parts of the region, amid fears of budget cuts and their impact on an ageing population.

The Richmond MP organised the meeting at Richmond Town Hall. It was attended by health bosses from the Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS England.

Among the concerns raised was the loss of minimum practice income guarantee, a scheme which provides top-up funding to surgeries, which has placed the future of some Dales practices in doubt.

Residents aired their fears over care for dementia patients and lack of communication between hospitals in different districts leading to patients being treated without their GP records being available, which Mr Hague said he would refer to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

He said: “I will continue to badger my colleagues who do not always understand how rural many parts of North Yorkshire are.”