THE Secretary of State for Health has been asked to authorise a re-examination of plans for the future of the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton.

North Yorkshire’s health scrutiny committee has appealed for a review of Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby clinical commissioning group’s (CCG) decision to to change the consultant-led 24-hour services at the hospital to short-stay assessment and midwifery-led units.

Now the chairman of the committee has sent a letter to Jeremy Hunt asking for the proposals to be considered by the NHS Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) ‘to ensure that all options have been reviewed in every possible forum.’