A £20m hospital has closed beds to new patients less than a year after it first opened.
Admissions have been suspended at East Riding Community Hospital after an unannounced Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection.
The flagship hospital – opened less than a year ago – has been forced to slash its number of in-patient beds from 30 to 12.
Doctors' surgeries across the area have been written to so they can refer patients to other hospitals in Bridlington and Withernsea.
Doctor Guy Clayton, of Beverley and Molescroft Surgery, said: "I suspect it's not what they want to do but what they've been told to do.
"They have clearly run into difficulties with the CQC. I'll be fascinated to find out exactly what they say has gone wrong."
Dr Clayton is one of two doctors who provide GP cover for the in-patient beds at the hospital in Swinemoor Lane, Beverley.
He gave notice in February of his intention to leave that role but was asked to stay on an extra three months until the end of July because the trust struggled to find a replacement.
Dr Clayton said: "They're a lovely team of people and there's an awful lot to that ward.
"We got very positive feedback from patients."
The CQC has been heavily criticised for failing to act in relation to failing hospitals in other parts of the country.
But, despite his confidence in the staff at East Riding Community Hospital, Dr Clayton says the watchdog must be listened to, whatever its findings are.
He said: "The CQC is there for a reason; to make sure standards of care are maintained. Clearly the CQC has found something that has alarmed it."
When East Riding Community Hospital opened on July 31, last year, patients were promised more NHS services and treatment available on their doorsteps.
All in-patient beds were taken out of Hornsea Cottage Hospital and Driffield's Alfred Bean Hospital and replaced at the new site.
It prompted outcry in the communities where beds were being lost.
East Riding Councillor Barbara Jefferson, who sits on the health and wellbeing scrutiny committee, lost her fight to retain beds at Hornsea.
She said: "To hear the beds are being reduced at Beverley is just unacceptable and someone needs to do something about it."
Until the CQC report is published, the full reasons for the bed reduction is unknown.
But it is understood there have been concerns about the availability of enough qualified nurses.
The in-patient ward at East Riding Community Hospital was very quiet yesterday.
A Beverley man with a neighbour being treated there said: "They wanted her to go to Bridlington or Withernsea.
"That's just crazy when we've got a new £20m hospital.
"We got her into Beverley and I've just been down to visit her. The place is almost deserted."
The letters sent to GPs came from Humber NHS Foundation Trust, which provides in-patient services at the hospital. It is thought the minor injuries unit or out-patient services are not affected and are operating as normal.
A spokesman for the Care Quality Commission said its report would be published at the end of this month.
She declined to comment on the inspectors' findings before then.
But the spokesman said, as a general rule, if areas of concern are identified by an inspection at a hospital and require immediate action, the CQC insists action is taken immediately.
A spokesman for Humber NHS Foundation Trust said only acute cases would be admitted for now.
She said: "The hospital will return to normal operation as soon as possible. Meanwhile there are sufficient beds available across the community hospitals in the East Riding to accommodate patients in need of admission."
• Has someone you know been treated at East Riding Community Hospital? Call Jon Townend on 01482 398109 or email j.townend@mailnewsmedia.co.uk
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