THE public are being asked for their views on a plan to strip Hartlepool Hospital of critical care and emergency medicine services and centralise them at North Tees Hospital.

The 12-week period of public consultation follows a report by the National Clinical Advisory Team which concluded that providing critical care on two sites was not sustainable in the long term.

It recommended the centralisation of critical care and emergency medicine services on a single site as soon as possible. 

NHS Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees Clinical Commissioning Group , Durham Dales, Easington and Sedgefield CCG, and North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust are now seeking views on the plans.

Hartlepool GP and chair of the CCG Dr Boleslaw Posmyk said: "We understand that people may have concerns about these changes, but it's important to point out that under the plan, patients will still have the majority of their health needs dealt with by their GP.

"In an emergency, after speaking to their GP or phoning 999 in the same way as they do now, the ambulance service will ensure that they get to the right place for the treatment they need."

A consultation document and questionnaire are available on the CCG websites.

You can also contact 0191 374 4143 or email mynhstees@nhs.net for copies.

A number of public events will be held in the near future. Full details will be available on the CCG websites.

In the long term the plan is to centralise all acute services for the area at a new hospital on Wynyard Business Park while local community healthcare facilities are beefed up.