THREE Darlington GPs have backed calls for a rapid decision over the location of County Durham’s new centralised acute stroke unit.

This week, Dr Mike Lavender, public health consultant with NHS County Durham and Darlington, who has masterminded plans to modernise stroke services over the past year, told The Northern Echo that any delay in making changes would not be in the interests of patients.

This follows calls by Darlington Borough Council for the current public consultation on the siting of the centralised acute stroke unit to be put on hold until a dispute over ambulance travel times could be resolved.

The council has submitted a request under the Freedom of Information Act asking NHS County Durham and Darlington to disclose survival rates of patients treated in Darlington and Durham City.

The primary care trust (PCT) is holding a public consultation over plans to centralise the area’s acute stroke services on one site.

But the PCT’s choice of the University Hospital of North Durham, in Durham City, as the preferred site, rather than Darlington Memorial Hospital, has angered politicians in Darlington.

Three Darlington GPs have publicly called for a rapid resolution to the controversy.

Dr Harry Byrne, a GP and clinical lead for Darlington Clinical Commissioning Consortia, said the main aim had to be improving the clinical outcome for stroke sufferers.

“Having hyperacute stroke services on a single site is critical, but where it is located isn’t,” he said.

Dr Ahmet Fuat, a Darlington GP and a national advisor on heart failure, said: “Evidence supports better outcomes for patients managed in a dedicated stroke unit.

Where the site is located is less important.”

Dr Andreas Wolff, a Darlington GP and a national expert on stroke prevention, said: “At the moment, valuable time is taken up working out which hospital is on call and finding the physician on call.”

The consulation process ends on September 11. For details of public meetings, visit haveasay.org.uk