Our New Hope
Posted on: Friday, 10 March 2006, 12:00 CST
By Bill Doult And Audrey Forbes
Hopes of halting controversial plans for shaking up Teesside hospital services have been raised - with a sudden decision by a health minister to visit the hospitals concerned.
Junior Health Minister Liam Byrne has promised to come and check for himself the views of health professionals and local people towards the sweeping changes, which include transferring consultant- led maternity and paediatric services from North Tees to Hartlepool.
But there are just weeks to go until a watchdog body decides whether to appeal to Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt against Professor Sir Ara Darzi's plan.
The Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee is working with the region's health authority to find a "resolution" to its concerns over maternity and paediatrics.
Prolific campaigner Barbara Robinson, who put together a 15,000- signature petition against the changes which was ignored in the final consultation, welcomed the visit as a breakthrough for protesters.
She said: "I'm on a high. It would be fantastic if he came to speak to the campaigners. We hope this can be done in public so we can talk about people's strong views."
Stockton MPs Dari Taylor and Frank Cook, along with council leader Bob Gibson and consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist John Macaulay, explained the medical, social and economic objections to the minister. They also underlined the scale of local opposition.
The minister has agreed to visit the University Hospital of North Tees and the Hartlepool hospital while investigating opposition among medics at Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital to plans for moving gastro-intestinal surgery to Stockton.
Mrs Taylor said it was an 11th hour bid to avert changes which would have seriously detrimental effects on local health services.
Stockton North MP Mr Cook believes the minister had been told doctors were happy to agree to the Darzi plans, and was shocked to discover the strength of opposition.
In a joint statement, the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the County Durham and Tees Valley Strategic Health Authority confirmed they were to meet to find a "local resolution". "Should a local resolution not be achieved, the JOSC will refer the matter to the Secretary of State."
Comment: Page 20
Source: Evening Gazette - Middlesbrough
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