LONDON, June 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Unite, the UK's largest trade union, reacted angrily today (Thursday) at the sudden announcement of the departure of Scarborough & North East Yorkshire NHS Trust's Chief Executive, Iain McInnes. The union called for immediate action by the Trust to alleviate the uncertainty the departure is causing patients and the workforce across the region.

His resignation is announced along with the resignations of the finance director and deputy chief executive Sandy Hogg and Jason Brine, the non-executive chairman of the trust board's audit committee.

The sudden announcement throws the Trust in to turmoil and comes at a critical time for Bridlington Hospital, which is in the middle of an investigation by the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) into the Trust's proposal to close Acute and Cardiac services at the hospital.

Karen Reay, Unite National Officer for Health, said: "These resignations come at a critical time for the future of services at Bridlington Hospital. This can only compound the feeling among staff and the local community that the trust are using stealth to cut costs with a hefty price paid by needy patients and a demoralised workforce."

Terry Cunliffe, Unite Regional Officer, added: "These swift and unexpected departures from the trust give the impression that the staff and local people are being abandoned to their fate. We are calling for the trust to stablise management services now and make no changes until the IRP enquiry is complete."

Unite has been working with local activists to save vital patient services and keep Bridlington hospital operational, recently giving evidence to the IRP. Unite also presented a 37,000 signature petition to Downing Street calling for these services to be kept at Bridlington.

Notes to Editors:

The Independent Reconfiguration Panel is the independent expert on NHS service change. Established in 2003 to provide advice to the Secretary of State for Health on contested proposals for health service change in England

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