Goole District Hospital FAQs

Appointment times are set based on clinic schedules across regional centres. While this can pose challenges, there are community transport services available or patient transport (for people who are eligible due to medical need) https://www.hey.nhs.uk/getting-to-our-hospitals/help-with-hospital-transport/ Part of the review we are undertaking will look at what more we might be able to do to schedule appointments differently so people from Goole and the surrounding areas could potentially have later appointments when they need to travel to other sites. 

Please see the Goole “top to toe” leaflet for a full list of services.  In brief, Goole offers: 

• Urgent Treatment Centre (7 am–8 pm daily) 

• Outpatient clinics (ophthalmology, cardiology, dermatology, orthopaedics, ENT, gastroenterology, etc.) 

• Mobile CT/MRI units 

• Day surgery and inpatient stay for eye, urology, orthopaedic procedures 

• Neuro‑rehabilitation and step‑down wards 

• Midwifery-led birth service, antenatal/postnatal care 

If your treatment requires specialist staff or equipment (e.g., consultant-led theatre, ICU), it must be done at a larger centre. These decisions are based on clinical guidelines covering safety, staff availability, and quality assurance. Patients with complex needs or more than one health condition will also need access to more specialist care than we offer at Goole. 

Changes in how we provide care for people experiencing mental ill health means more of this takes place nearer the patient’s own community. Crisis support is now provided via community mental health teams with inpatient units centralised in specialised mental health hospitals run by Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust. 

Goole has community mental health teams working with service users, but inpatient mental health care is provided by Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust at its specialised units in Hull or other facilities in the region depending on the need of the individual. 

End of life care is an area we are looking at in this review. Increasingly, people wish to die at home rather than in hospital. Palliative services are being redesigned toward home or community-based end-of-life care to meet this need. GDH works with local hospices and community teams to provide these services outside the hospital. 

Specialist rehabilitation, particularly neurorehabilitation, continues at Goole. Step-down care provides medical rehabilitation for people who have been transferred from acute hospitals. Community rehabilitation services are also in place in Goole provided by City Health Care Partnership (CHCP)

A number still do. However, most specialists are based in larger centres alongside their full multidisciplinary teams and diagnostic services.  

One of the areas HHP is looking at is focused on expanding outpatient services locally to reduce travel. This includes looking at different specialties that have either previously been undertaken at GDH or at new specialties as well as considering opportunities to provide more nurse-led clinics. This includes exploring digital consultation (so a nurse and the team would be in GDH but the consultant is available over video-link).  

GDH still hosts these clinics regularly. However, we don’t have enough specialist staff to be able to offer appointments everywhere every day. This limited consultant availability, alongside scheduling appointments, helps to maximise the time the staff we do have can spend with patients and usually requires some clinics to be delivered in larger centres. 

Booking systems automatically prioritise clinical need with information about how long someone has waited and the capacity of clinics at different sites. Patients can contact HHP or the referring clinician to ask if an appointment at GDH is possible once they receive their letter. 

While patient preference is valued, it also depends on clinical appropriateness and hospital capacity. Routing to GDH must still be clinically suitable for the individual patient and meet practical availability. However, we strongly encourage you to raise concerns if Goole is not offered to you when you feel it should be. 

GDH hosts an Urgent Treatment Centre. To maintain round-the-clock emergency care, services are consolidated in larger hospitals that can handle unpredictable demand and major incidents – https://www.nlg.nhs.uk/hospitals/goole/ GDH does not have the facilities – like dedicated theatre space for emergency surgery or intensive care beds – required for a full A&E. There are other A&Es departments available around Goole including in Hull, York, Scunthorpe and Doncaster. 

It is critical patients are cared for in the most appropriate place for their needs and are conveyed directly there. The most serious emergencies are handled at major trauma centres (for example, Hull Royal Infirmary).  

Previously, patients who suffered major trauma were simply taken to the nearest hospital, regardless of whether it had the skills, facilities or equipment to deal with such serious injuries. This often resulted in patients then being transferred, which sometimes meant causing delays in receiving that crucial treatment in the first hour. 

Ambulance staff assess patients to ensure those with the most severe injuries, classed as major trauma, are taken to a major trauma centre for emergency treatment. In many cases this involves bypassing the local and much nearer hospital so they can immediately receive specialist care with access to CT scans, specialist treatment and staff and innovative technology. 

Despite what some people think GDH has only ever operated as a community hospital with UTC-level urgent care services. There has never been an A&E department in the current GDH building. However, historically the former Bartholomew hospital site did have A&E facilities but these would not have met the current criteria for an A&E department. 

Wards might be physically there but they require upgrading to meet the very latest guidance if they are going to be used for healthcare delivery. We also need the trained staff available to care for people. Today we don’t have enough staff to cover all the wards and clinics we have open across our group, that’s why we spend millions of pounds a year on temporary staffing. HHP is actively reviewing available space at GDH and looking at how it might be used better. 

Waiting times depend on the demand for appointments and whether we have the staff available to meet that demand. As people get older the demand for appointments grows and we have not been able to recruit all the specialist staff we need to meet that growth. GDH shares outpatient capacity with larger centres – demand often exceeds local slots. Work is ongoing to increase local capacity. 

These procedures are carried out at GDH now. Many cataract procedures are carried out at GDH. Blood tests are accessible through outpatient clinics and community services. Only very specialised diagnostics (e.g., full endoscopy, complex imaging) require bigger centres.

Non-emergency patient transport (PTS) is coordinated via the Trust and Yorkshire Ambulance Service but this is strictly based on clinical eligibility. Community transport services exist but we know there are gaps, especially early/late or weekend rides. The ICB is exploring improvements based on patient feedback, find out more. The responsibility for provision of public transport to meet local need sits with local councils and mayoral combined authorities. 

Medibus (operated by Goole-GoFar) currently runs Mon–Thu until 4 pm. It’s managed by local councils and charities. Evening and weekend services are constrained by funding, staff and transport resources.

Services at Goole are overseen by: 

• Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (provider trust) – has the responsibility for managing services on a day-to-day basis and ensuring services are safely staffed by the right number of people with the right level of skills and knowledge 

• NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (commissioner) – has responsibility for what services are made available in the region and where those services are located 

All decisions are taken in line with NHS governance, clinical review, funding availability, and community engagement. 

No decisions have been made about services in Goole and District Hospital at this time.  

The ICB continually monitors the changes in population and will develop services that are reflective of the needs of the population. The Office of National Statistics produce forecasts for population changes across the country and these help to inform healthcare planning. 

Since March 2025, the ICB has planned public events (e.g., 28th May and 20th June), online surveys, and engagement with local groups around Goole. Official position statements and updates were published here prior to the pre-election period, however the activity itself was paused due to the pre-election period as per national guidelines.

Some decisions may feel like they are taken quickly and sometimes they are because of issues like staff shortages or broken equipment. These decisions are short term and not related to what happens in Goole in the long term. 

Lots of change is happening in the NHS at the moment, nationally and locally. Our job, through this review, is to make sure we provide the best services we can with the resources we have (staff, buildings, equipment and money) to everyone we serve.

We know changing one service in one location impacts on other services elsewhere, that’s why this is not a quick process. Generally speaking larger hospitals are built with higher capacity and critical care facilities to meet such demands. That said, maintaining GDH for routine and planned care is a priority to help manage regional pressures. 

We are actively evaluating Goole’s capacity to become a hub for specific services – this includes diagnostics, day surgery, neuro-rehab and some elective care. Part of this work is to assess whether it has the right space in the right places (and, if not, what it would cost to make sure it did), whether we have the right mix of trained staff (and, if not, whether we can train them to do new work) and whether the demand is there in Goole and the surrounding area for services to be located in GDH.

No. We did cancel a number of rheumatology appointments due to some specific issues around staffing. However, this was a one off and not part of a longer-term plan to move these appointments away from GDH. We have no plans to do that and the clinics will be continuing as they have been in the past. 

Goole is visited by the mobile breast screening unit every three years, like other towns in our area, because people are offered screening at three yearly intervals. It was last there between June 2023 and January 2024. There are no plans to change this and the unit is due to return in June 2026. 

No, on the contrary, the ICB has invested £8.6 million to bring mobile CT/MRI into rotation across Goole and the region – £8.6 million investment in improved diagnostic services – Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust  The mobile scanners at GDH will continue to be provided as they are now. 

The UTC has full access to X-ray Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm with arrangements for cover to see all patients still in UTC at 5pm. There is also provision on weekend mornings 10am to 12noon, which meets most need that presents to the UTC. 

Around 4000 X-rays per year are provided via the UTC. 

The ICB’s mobile scanning rollout aims to significantly increase access, and HHP is looking at ensuring we have the capacity that is needed for the local demand.  

The information HHP provided in January 2025 was what we had been provided with at that point by Northern Power. We have had subsequent clarification about the supply and have also commissioned an independent survey to understand the power supply in and around the site in more detail.  The issue of power supply is a key factor to consider when thinking about developing future clinical or public services on the site. To be clear it is not an issue in respect of the way that services are currently delivered, including the imaging vans that come on site on a regular basis. 

Yes, Trusts across the region are developing advanced clinical practitioner roles to expand community capacity and reduce consultant pressures. 

Establishing dialysis services requires specialist staff, infection control resources, and water treatment systems. Currently, demand and funding hasn’t justified an on-site unit, but local services are being assessed for future scalability. 

No, such hyperacute stroke care is only delivered in specialist stroke centres Hyperacute stroke care is centralised at two specialist centres – Scunthorpe General Hospital and Hull Royal Infirmary – providing care for patients from across Northern Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire. GDH provides step-down rehab for some stroke patients who have very complex needs after initial treatment elsewhere. 

As the owner of the site and core service provider, Humber Health Partnership (HHP) has initially engaged with staff, stakeholders and local provider organisations to consider the various opportunities for the provision of health services at the hospital.

HHP updated NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) in March 2025 on the work delivered so far and we are now working together to explore how the hospital and other local health services can do things differently to better support people to stay healthy, independent, and cared for closer to home whilst making best use of limited money and resources.   

No decisions have yet been made. Any proposals for substantive service change would need to be led by the Integrated Care Board (ICB) and assured by NHS England, in line with national guidance.

The hospital service areas specifically being reviewed are Complex Neuro Rehabilitation, Surgery (including ophthalmology, which deals with eyes and sight), Medicine, Maternity, Outpatients and Diagnostics. 

This work will take around six months and, while that happens, services at the hospital will continue as they are.

We are actively evaluating Goole’s capacity to become a hub for specific services – this includes diagnostics, day surgery, neuro-rehab and some elective care. Part of this work is to assess whether it has the right space in the right places (and, if not, what it would cost to make sure it did), whether we have the right mix of trained staff (and, if not, whether we can train them to do new work) and whether the demand is there in Goole and the surrounding area for services to be located in GDH.

GDH still hosts these clinics regularly. However, we don’t have enough specialist staff to be able to offer appointments everywhere every day. This limited consultant availability, alongside scheduling appointments, helps to maximise the time the staff we do have can spend with patients and usually requires some clinics to be delivered in larger centres. 

We want to ensure health and care services in Goole are fit to respond to today’s changing health needs and adapt to future challenges. 

 We are reviewing how we can: 

• Make the best use of hospital space and staff skills 
• Improve access to outpatient and diagnostic services
• Offer more care in the community, including at home
• Plan for investment in the site and facilities

No. Goole and District Hospital does have a future, and there are no plans to close it, but we do need to explore how the hospital and other local health services can do things differently to better support people to stay healthy, independent, and cared for closer to home whilst making best use of limited money and resources. 

Change can be worrying but it doesn’t always mean things that patients will notice; often, it’s about finding ways to improve how we work to make sure everyone has better outcomes. 

We see a bright future where local NHS services, community organisations, and voluntary groups work side by side to meet your changing health needs. 

Yes, we will be having initial conversations with the public and have events planned during May and June 2025.  Find details of the events here.

Yes.  A Top to Toe of services provided at GDH is available here.  

Please note that this information is subject to change and was accurate as at April 2024. 

Yes.  We have regular meetings with GP practices and colleagues in the Primary Care Network and have reiterated practices can continue to refer suitable patients to local services, subject to the usual patient choice guidelines they follow.

No changes have been made to the telephony system or how it works for a number of years.  In most cases, teams cover both GDH and Scunthorpe General Hospital so when answering calls, they can offer appointments at any hospital (subject to clinical assessment). 

The hospital service areas specifically being reviewed are Complex Neuro Rehabilitation, Surgery, Medicine, Maternity, Outpatients and Diagnostics.   

Any proposals to change GP and dentistry services are not part of this review, and we are not aware of anything at the current time.  There is also no plan to remove CT (Computed Tomography) / MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) provision or the breast screening service from Goole.  

We are, however, exploring how the hospital and other local health services can do things differently to better support people to stay healthy, independent, and cared for closer to home. 

A number of early, exploratory discussions have taken place to seek out potential partners with an interest in co-locating either on the existing GDH site or a potential new build. 

These include: 

•  Further and Higher Education partnership  
• GP-led step-up/step-down beds/intermediate care provision
• Extended primary/community care services  
• Administrative accommodation for cross-organisational working (One Public Estate) 
• VCSE-sector hub 

This work will continue over the coming months.  We see a bright future where local NHS services, community organisations, and voluntary groups work side by side to meet peoples’ changing health needs.  

We will be exploring all possible opportunities for GDH and whilst making best use of limited money and resources. 

Any decisions about GDH will be made using criteria like patient safety, clinical quality, future service sustainability, patient experience and access, making better use of facilities and staff resources as well as being cost-effective. 

Any proposals for substantive service change must also pass formal NHS tests, ensuring clinical evidence, patient engagement and consistency with national care standards.

We use the best data sources available to us including from the 2021 census, figures from the Office of National Statistics, information from the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities as well as data from validated NHS systems.  Where appropriate, such data would be included in any impact assessments required to inform future decision-making.

No decisions have yet been made.  The aim of this work is to find the best way to meet the changing health needs of the Goole population with the resources that we have available.  We do have a legal duty to operate within our nationally allocated financial envelope and there is insufficient funding in the system for HHP to continue providing services as they are now.  But change doesn’t always mean things that patients will notice; often, it’s about finding ways to improve how we work to make sure everyone has better outcomes. 

HHP has an estimated Cost Improvement Programme (CIP) efficiency target of £137 million for 2025/26.  These efficiency plans help us find ways to use resources more effectively, reduce costs and improve performance without impacting the quality of care or patient safety.

No decisions have yet been made, and this isn’t just about financial savings.  There will be a focus on balancing financial efficiency with maintaining or improving quality of care. 

Goole is the most common location for hospital outpatient appointments for people living locally, with more than 15,000 taking place every year for people living in DN14 postcodes. However, for every two face-to-face appointments that take place at GDH three take place in other hospitals. This is because some patients from Goole need specialist treatment (like radiotherapy) or need to see specialist teams of staff based elsewhere. Therefore, on average, there are around 62 journeys per day from Goole to other hospital sites around the Humber for face-to-face outpatient appointments. 

Patients from DN14 postcodes account for less than a quarter (22% in 2023/24) of the patients having surgery at GDH. Nearly twice as many (1,500) patients travel from North Lincolnshire each year, with a smaller number (600) travelling from North East Lincolnshire. 

No decisions have yet been made.  The review process will take around six months and any proposals to make a substantial service change would include consideration of potential alternative locations, along with an appropriate impact assessment. 

Potential alternatives could include Scunthorpe, Hull, Grimsby, or Castle Hill Hospitals for those services. These hospitals already support patients from Goole for many types of care today.

Like most towns in our region, the number of people living in and around Goole means the NHS can’t offer some services locally; it wouldn’t be safe or cost effective, and we don’t have enough staff to do it either.  That’s why, for care such as cancer treatment or emergency surgery, people are asked to go to another hospital that sees more patients with the same condition as them – where doctors and nurses can safely maintain their skills. 

Patients already travel for some services, and any potential future service changes will include consideration of clinical evidence. 

• Goole Hospital to Hull Royal Infirmary – 27.1 miles. Northern Rail offers train services from Goole to Hull, with fares starting from £6.40.   
• Goole Hospital to Scunthorpe General Hospital – 27.6 miles. The cheapest train ticket from Goole to Scunthorpe is £13.70, and the average train journey time is 1 hour and 9 minutes.
• Goole Hospital to Doncaster Royal Infirmary – 19.7 miles. a journey from Goole to Doncaster Royal Infirmary via train ranges from £7.20. 
• Goole Hospital to York Hospital – 23.8 miles. Goole to York Hospital by public transport is by train and bus, costing approximately £16-75. 
• Goole Hospital to Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby – 53.9 miles. Goole to Diana Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby are train and bus combinations. It can cost between £15 and £41, depending on the specific route and ticket type. 

Distances are calculated by car on Google maps. Fares calculated by train on trainline website. 

No decisions have yet been made. Any potential future service changes would include consideration of capacity at alternative locations and the consequent impact on waiting times. 

No, there is no emergency department at GDH and ambulances do not attend carrying people who require emergency treatment.  These patients are taken to other hospitals with an emergency department open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

This is a complicated piece of work which we expect to take around six months to inform potential proposals. Any proposals for substantive service change would need to be led by the Integrated Care Board (ICB) and assured by NHS England, in line with national guidance.   

No decisions have yet been made.  Any potential future service changes would include discussions with staff and trade union colleagues, as appropriate.  

The ultimate impact will depend heavily on whether the review leads to expansion, restructuring, or reduction — something the NHS has not yet decided.

Change can be worrying but it doesn’t always mean things that patients will notice; often, it’s about finding ways to improve how we work to make sure everyone has better outcomes.  It is right that we have the opportunity to discuss ways to make improvements with our staff who are often best placed to come up with solutions. 

Where there is likely to be a potential change which may impact patients, we will always listen and seek views to inform our decisions. 

All information and updates will be shared on our website.

During May and June, we will be holding drop in events where people can ask questions and find out about the current position of GDH.  This will be followed by targeted engagement linked to service areas being reviewed, if appropriate.  

Any questions from the public can also be directed to the ICB via hnyicb.engagement@nhs.net.