Either the Darlington Memorial or North Tees Hospital Accident and Emergency department will close according to a Department of Health minister after Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham probed the department on their plans.
Mr Cunningham has received a letter from the Department of Health which confirmed that there is no guarantee that it will be the North Tees A&E that will remain. The letter highlights the plans for the establishment of two specialist emergency hospitals – Middlesbrough and either Darlington or North Tees. The hospital that does not become a specialist emergency hospital would lose its A&E.
The letter also includes intention of a local consultation on the final plans.
Commenting on the letter, Alex Cunningham MP said:
“I have raised my concerns about the potential closure of the North Tees Accident and Emergency Department, but now constituents need to raise their concerns too.
“I encourage all past and potential users of the A&E units to make their voices heard at the Department of Health telling them just how damaging this move would be. If you don’t have a car, you’re going to be further at risk. If you need urgent treatment in order to save your life, you may have to travel more than 10 miles to receive that care.
“I am angry, and I know many constituents are too. We shouldn’t be closing either A&E unit but should be training and recruiting the specialist staff needed to sustain them both.
“If you want to save A&E facilities in the area, you can email necsu.STP@nhs.net now and raise your objections. We’re only going to save our service if we work together.”
If you would like to read the proposals in full, visit www.darlingtonccg.nhs.uk and click on the Documents section, followed by Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STP).
ENDS
For further information, please contact Alex’s office on 020 7219 7157
