Mr Knight has strongly supported campaigners against cuts to cardiac services at Bridlington Hospital. He said: "A 20 mile journey to Scarborough has today been forced on local people who may be in urgent need, by this cost-cutting decision. This penny-pinching betrayal of Bridlington's residents may cost lives".

Mr Knight said with the massive influx of tourists over the summer holiday period the nearest adequately equipped hospital could now be 'almost an hour away'.

Mr Knight says that in authorizing the cuts Health Secretary Alan Johnson has 'ignored the strength of feeling amongst local doctors and also the thousands of residents who twice have turned out in force to support the retention of hospital services.

"A petition was even presented to Downing Street but to no avail. Clearly this Minister is just not listening. '

Mr Knight angrily points out that the cuts at Bridlington are being proposed at the same time that the NHS is predicting a nationwide budget surplus of almost £2 billion. He said, "This is outrageous. Money that has been voted by Parliament to the NHS for healthcare purposes is just not being spent. A small fraction of this sum could maintain crucial services at Bridlington Hospital."

Mr Knight is adamant that the fight to see crucial services retained at the hospital is far from over. "So long as the bricks and mortar, and the hospital fabric remains, then the battle is not lost and a campaign to sustain, increase and improve services here at Bridlington will continue," he said.

He points out that Conservative Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley, who could be health secretary within 18 months, has signed the petition supporting the retention of services at Bridlington Hospital.

"This Hospital is both needed and valued. The fight for services at Bridlington will go on –and, if necessary will outlast Alan Johnson's transient ministerial career".