Julian Sturdy, Member of Parliament for York Outer, yesterday met with Health Minister Stephen Barclay to discuss the future of the Bootham Park Hospital site, having raised the issue in Parliament earlier this month.
City of York Council wants NHS Property Services to halt their plans to sell the site and allow the local NHS and the Council sufficient time to devise plans for the future of Bootham that provide the greatest possible benefits for residents of York. They propose using the site for new NHS facilities, housing for key workers like hospital staff, and a new public park.
Earlier in July, Mr Sturdy wrote formally to the Chief Executive of NHS Property Services and Ministers at the Department of Health to emphasise the importance of the future use of Bootham reflecting the needs and interests of York residents.
Julian Sturdy met the Minister alongside the MP for York Central Rachael Maskell, the Chief Executive of NHS Property Services and the Chief Executive of the York NHS Hospital Trust.
After leaving the meeting, Mr Sturdy said: “I thought it was vital to raise the future of Bootham Park with the Minister, and I am glad to see he is engaging with the case being made by the Council on behalf of York residents.
I will continue to do all I can to facilitate discussion between the Department of Health, NHS Property Services, our local NHS and City of York Council. I am determined to ensure that the needs and interests of local people are properly considered in decision-making on this landmark York institution.”