Worried supporters fear they could lose a beloved community hospital after staff and patients were moved out six months ago to update water systems - but return dates have been repeatedly cancelled.

They are calling on South Tees NHS Trust to pledge that the inpatient Victoria Ward of the Friary Community Hospital in Richmond will not be closed permanently.

The hospital, which has been rated good by the Care Quality Commission, cares for patients following acute illness, offers rehabilitation after general surgery and orthopaedic surgery, and carries out palliative care, as well as monitoring of new drug therapy or convalescence to support discharge plans.

The trust says additional work that needs to take place in the building has been identified before the Victoria Ward can reopen to inpatients but they are looking forward to welcoming patients back.

Out-patient services have not been affected by the work and are continuing. Patients and staff were moved out of Victoria Ward in August, mostly to the Friarage in Northallerton, after being told work needed to be done to repair water pressure issues. The ward caters for about 18 patients with more than 20 staff.

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Originally it was expected they would be back in November, then it was going to be January and now supporters say they understand a lot more work needs to be done on the building to meet current regulations, particularly over fire safety, and no new date is being given.

“This is appalling,” said one supporter, who asked not to be named. “How can there suddenly be so much more work? Our biggest fear is that we will lose this community hospital which is loved by so many people, and has looked after so many local residents and families.

“We have been told that this is what happened at the Lambert community hospital in Thirsk, they lost their hospital after it was closed because work needed doing and then they said they struggled with staff.

“It is vital that we keep this hospital, it serves not only Richmond but the Dales as well, for people to have to travel to even Northallerton, or then to Middlesbrough if they could be treated at their local hospital, it is a long way.”

Supporters are also now planning to write to Richmond MP and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to express their concern.

A South Tees Hospitals Foundation Trust spokesperson said: “Work has been taking place to enable the Friary Hospital’s Victoria Ward to begin taking inpatients again following the problems with low internal water flow which required the ward to be temporarily closed to admissions in August.

“The building’s landlord, with the support of NHS Property Services, has been working to rectify the internal water pressure problems and this work is now nearing completion.

“Separately, the building’s landlord and NHS Property Services have identified additional work that needs to take place elsewhere in the building before the Victoria Ward can reopen to inpatients.

“Our doctors and nurses are looking forward to welcoming patients to the Victoria Ward’s much-improved environment when the additional work due to take place elsewhere in the building has been completed.”